Sarcoidosis as a diagnostic pitfall of pancreatic cancer

Clin Transl Oncol. 2009 Jun;11(6):396-8. doi: 10.1007/s12094-009-0375-1.

Abstract

Sarcoidosis (SA) is accompanied by malignancy more than can be explained by chance. Cancer can occur in patients with an established diagnosis of SA and SA can subsequently develop in a cancer patient. Malignancy can also be associated with the occurrence of sarcoid reactions (SR), which are typically restricted to the regional lymph nodes. Problems may also arise in distinguishing between tumour-related SRs and true systemic SA. Here we present a case with both SA and pancreatic cancer, and we discuss the result of distinguishing between SA and SRs in a patient with concurrent cancer.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Pain / etiology
  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / therapeutic use
  • Biopsy, Fine-Needle
  • Carcinoma / complications
  • Carcinoma / diagnosis*
  • Carcinoma / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma / pathology
  • Deoxycytidine / analogs & derivatives
  • Deoxycytidine / therapeutic use
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Gallium Radioisotopes
  • Gemcitabine
  • Granuloma / diagnosis
  • Granuloma / pathology
  • Humans
  • Laparotomy
  • Lymph Nodes / diagnostic imaging
  • Lymph Nodes / pathology
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Palliative Care
  • Pancreas / pathology
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / complications
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Sarcoidosis / complications
  • Sarcoidosis / diagnosis*
  • Sarcoidosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Sarcoidosis / pathology
  • Trigeminal Neuralgia / etiology

Substances

  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
  • Gallium Radioisotopes
  • Deoxycytidine
  • Gemcitabine