Exertional Dyspnea Incidentally Diagnosed As Sarcoidosis: A Teaching Hospital Experience

Background: Sarcoidosis is a complex disease with nonspecific etiology and clinical presentation. Its diagnosis is often delayed due to the absence of a single specific investigation modality. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary for its diagnosis. . A 49-year-old male presented with recurrent dyspnea on exertion, easy fatigue, and chest pain after several visits to different health facilities over 5 months. A diagnosis of pulmonary sarcoidosis was made after a series of laboratory and imaging investigations were done revealing bilateral reticonodular opacifications, noncaseating granulomata, elevated serum ACE and calcium levels consistent with sarcoidosis.

Conclusion: Sarcoidosis, although a rare presentation in our setting, may easily be overlooked or misdiagnosed if a holistic or multidisciplinary approach is not employed in its diagnosis. Nonspecificity of symptoms contributes to the delayed diagnosis.