A case report on sarcoidosis: the great-mimicker

Abstract

Sarcoidosis is a rare multi-systemic disease of idiopathic etiology with a low incidence and the hallmark histologic feature of non-caseating granulomas. Sarcoidosis can involve any organ system. Thus, the manifestations at presentation are highly variable. Our case features a 55-year-old female who presented with complaints of abdominal pain, anorexia, weight loss, and a history of infrequent dry cough with lymphoma, tuberculosis, and lung carcinoma, the initial differentials in mind. In due course, investigations revealed bilateral renal calculi and hypercalcemia, which eventually led to the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Hypercalcemia and renal dysfunction in sarcoidosis are relatively rare, affecting less than 10% of patients at presentation. In its acute phase, the consequences of hypercalcemia are reversible, and its prompt treatment subsequently reduces the risk of irreversible renal dysfunction, highlighting the importance of strong suspicion for a disease like sarcoid - the Great Mimicker.