Extrapulmonary sarcoidosis primarily diagnosed in the liver

Sarcoidosis is a relatively common, chronic, multisystem disease of unknown origin characterized by the presence of noncaseating epithelioid granuloma s. Although an array of organs may be affected by the disease, the commones t site of affection is the lung. We describe a 73-year-old patient admitted to our hospital because of fatigue, weight loss, and an increased alkaline phosphatase level. In conjunction with clinical presentation, laboratory v ariables, and imaging analysis, a liver biopsy finally confirmed the diagno sis of a systemic sarcoidosis without affection of the lung or mediastinal lymph nodes. Treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid before diagnosis did not i mprove clinical symptoms and cholestasis indicators. After prednisone treat ment, liver enzyme values normalized and remained normal during follow-up f or 2 years after diagnosis. The Literature on hepatic manifestation of sarc oidosis, its diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis is reviewed. This single c ase of sarcoidosis presented to the clinician almost exclusively with liver enzyme abnormalities. The consideration of sarcoidosis in such cases is of utmost importance, since the differential diagnosis of hepatic granulomas includes infectious diseases in which treatment with corticosteroids could be fatal.