Novelties in Imaging of Thoracic Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease affecting various organs, and the lungs are the most commonly involved. According to guidelines, diagnosis relies on a consistent clinical picture, histological demonstration of non-caseating granulomas, and exclusion of other diseases with similar histological or clinical picture. Nevertheless, chest imaging plays an important role in both diagnostic assessment, allowing to avoid biopsy in some situations, and prognostic evaluation. Despite the demonstrated lower sensitivity of chest X-ray (CXR) in the evaluation of chest findings compared to high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), CXR still retains a pivotal role in both diagnostic and prognostic assessment in sarcoidosis. Moreover, despite the huge progress made in the field of radiation dose reduction, chest magnetic resonance (MR), and quantitative imaging, very little research has focused on their application in sarcoidosis. In this review, we aim to describe the latest novelties in diagnostic and prognostic assessment of thoracic sarcoidosis and to identify the fields of research that require investigation.

Automated summary

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease that primarily affects the lungs. Diagnosis relies on consistent clinical presentation, histological demonstration of non-caseating granulomas, and exclusion of other diseases with similar features. Despite the importance of chest imaging in diagnostic and prognostic evaluation, chest X-ray still plays a pivotal role in sarcoidosis.