Significance of granulomatous inflammation in usual interstitial pneumonia

Significance of granulomatous inflammation in usual interstitial pneumonia

Authors

  • Rade Tomic University of Minnesota Medical School
  • Hyun J Kim University of Minnesota Medical School
  • David M Perlman Univsersity of Minnesota Medical School
  • Melinda Bors University of Minnesota School of Nursing
  • Tadashi Allen University of Minnesota Medical School
  • Jon Ritter University of Minnesota Medical School
  • H Erhan Dincer University of Minnesota Medical School
  • Maneesh Bhargava University of Minnesota Medical School

Keywords:

UIP, IPF, sarcoidosis, granulomas

Abstract

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unclear etiology with characteristic pulmonary lesions. We describe 2 unique cases of sarcoidosis where after approximately 20 years of clinical quiescence, patients developed interstitial opacities on chest CT scan and an increase in shortness of breath. With lack of therapeutic response to a course of prednisone, both patients underwent a surgical lung biopsy that revealed a pattern consistent with Usual Interstitial Pneumonia (UIP) with honeycombing and fibroblastic foci. Postoperatively, the course of the disease was consistent with what would be expected in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Ultimately the disease progressed with one patient needed lung transplantation and the other requiring high-flow oxygen supplementation. In conclusion, we present two patients in whom a diagnosis of sarcoidosis preceded the diagnosis of UIP by 20 years or more. The subsequent course of disease in both patients was consistent with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2015; 32: 160-166)

Author Biographies

Rade Tomic, University of Minnesota Medical School

Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine

Hyun J Kim, University of Minnesota Medical School

Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine

David M Perlman, Univsersity of Minnesota Medical School

Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine

Melinda Bors, University of Minnesota School of Nursing

PhD Candidate

Tadashi Allen, University of Minnesota Medical School

Assistant Professor

Department of Radiology

Jon Ritter, University of Minnesota Medical School

Professor

Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology

H Erhan Dincer, University of Minnesota Medical School

Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine

Maneesh Bhargava, University of Minnesota Medical School

Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine

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Published

22-07-2015

Issue

Section

Case Reports

How to Cite

1.
Tomic R, Kim HJ, Perlman DM, Bors M, Allen T, Ritter J, et al. Significance of granulomatous inflammation in usual interstitial pneumonia. Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis [Internet]. 2015 Jul. 22 [cited 2025 May 20];32(2):160-6. Available from: https://mattioli1885journals.com/index.php/sarcoidosis/article/view/3442