Pediatric Sarcoidosis Misdiagnosed as Hepatosplenic Abscesses: A Case Report and Review

J Rheum Dis. 2022 Jul 1;29(3):181-186. doi: 10.4078/jrd.2022.29.3.181.

Abstract

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology characterized by granuloma formation. Due to the limited incidence of sarcoidosis in pediatric patients, little is known about the clinical course of this disease. A combination of clinical, radiologic, and pathologic examination is necessary to exclude other differential diagnoses (i.e., infection and granulomatous inflammatory disorder) and establish a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Here, we report a case of histologically confirmed sarcoidosis initially misdiagnosed as hepatosplenic abscesses in an 11-year-old male. Treatment with corticosteroids improved his symptoms and resolved his skin and hepatosplenic lesions. A three-year follow-up was uneventful. This study emphasizes the importance of considering sarcoidosis in children presenting with findings of multi-organ involvement in the presence of histologic evidence of granuloma.

Keywords: Children; Granuloma; Liver abscess; Sarcoidosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

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