Kb. Highland et al., IS THERE AN ANATOMIC EXPLANATION FOR CHEST PAIN IN PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY SARCOIDOSIS, Southern medical journal, 90(9), 1997, pp. 911-914
Background. Chest pain (CP), its cause unknown, is a common and often
prominent symptom of sarcoidosis. Methods. We determined the frequency
and character of CP in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis and examin
ed its relationship with (1) length of time since diagnosis, (2) roent
genographic stage, and (3) radiographic abnormalities on spiral chest
computed tomography (CT). Results. Twenty-two patients were studied: 1
4 of 22 patients (64%) had CP, with 4 of 14 (29%) identifying pain as
their primary symptom. Eleven of 14 (79%) had pleuritic CP; 12 of 22 (
54.5%) described CP as substernal; and 5 of 22 (22.7%) described CP be
tween the scapula. There was not a significant correlation between CP
and the presence or deg-ree of lymphadenopathy. There was no significa
nt correlation between CP and the presence or location of pleural dise
ase. Abnormalities of other thoracic structures also had no significan
t correlation with the presence of CP. Conclusions. We conclude that t
here is no ''anatomic reason'' for CP in patients with pulmonary sarco
idosis that is evident on chest CT.