HIGH RESOLUTION CT TYPICAL PATTERNS IN PULMONARY SARCOIDOSIS: CORRELATION WITH CLINICAL SYMPTOMS AND RADIOLOGICAL STAGING

Abstract

Introduction: Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic and often chronic disease that can involve nearly any organ. The lungs and intrathoracic lymph nodes are the most commonly affected structures. The aim: of the study is to classify the stages of sarcoidosis and analyze their correlation with clinical symptoms. Material and Methods: A total of 50 patients with sarcoidosis came to our University Clinic for Pulmonology and Allergology-Skopje during 2022-2023 period - a retrospective observational study. A high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) using a 128-slice PHILIPS INCISIVE CT scanner was performed to all patients, using a 1 mm thin-slice protocol optimized for thoracic imaging. Disease staging was conducted according to the Scadding Score System. Clinical symptoms such as smoking, dyspnea and cough were identified from the MOJ TERMIN medical records and compared with the stage of the disease. Results: The disease stage did not significantly correlate with the patients’ sex and age, but it did significantly correlate with their place of residence. There was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of former smokers across disease stages, driven by the significantly higher proportion of former smokers in stage III compared to stage II. The disease stage had a significant impact on patient hospitalization. The disease stage had a significant impact on the presence of reticular opacities in the upper and middle zones.