Unilateral hilar or paratracheal adenopathy in sarcoidosis: a study of 38 cases.

Sarcoidosis is a disease of unknown cause that is characterized by the presence of non-caseous granuloma. The diagnosis is made whenever this histological finding occurs in the absence of other known causes. of non-caseating granulomas and whenever compatible clinical and radiographic findings are present. The usual chest radiographic findings in sarcoidosis are (1) bilateral hilar and occasionally right paratracheal adenopathy, (2) thoracic lymphadenopathy and pulmonary densities, (3) pulmonary densities without lymphadenopathy, and (4) predominant pulmonary fibrosis. Occasionally, the clue as to the possible clinical diagnosis of pulmonary sarcoidosis is the presence of bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy. Sarcoidosis is not usually considered in the differential diagnosis of unilateral hilar enlargement or of right paratracheal adenopathy alone, but it should be.