Clinical usefulness of nuclear imaging techniques in sarcoidosis

Nuclear imaging techniques play a role in the assessment and management of patients with sarcoidosis. A variety of radiopharmaceuticals have been introduced for this purpose since the late 1970s. The present chapter focuses on these radiopharmaceuticals, scintigraphic imaging techniques, and their role and clinical value in sarcoidosis. Correlation with other imaging modalities, biochemical parameters and pulmonary function tests are discussed. Integration of the currently available data and the present authors’ own experience have permitted the development of an algorithm, in which the current authors suggest a clinical guideline focused on optimal use of nuclear imaging techniques in the initial study of patients with sarcoidosis.