The aim of this study is to better understand the epidemiological and clinical features of patients with sarcoidosis in Singapore and to ascertain if ethnic differences exist.
Bronchiolitis manifests as a variety of histological features that explain the complex clinical profiles and imaging aspects. In the period between January 2011 and June 2015, patients with a cryobiopsy diagnosis of bronchiolitis were retrospectively retrieved from the database of our institution. Clinical profiles, imaging features and histologic diagnoses were analysed to identify the role of cryobiopsy in the diagnostic process. Twenty-three patients with a multidisciplinary diagnosis of small airway disease were retrieved (14 females, 9 males; age range 31-74 years old; mean age 54.2 years old). The final MDT diagnoses were post-infectious bronchiolitis (n = 5), constrictive bronchiolitis (n = 3), DIPNECH (n = 1), idiopathic follicular bronchiolitis (n = 3), Sjogren's disease (n = 1), GLILD (n = 1), smoking-related interstitial lung disease (n = 6), sarcoid with granulomatous bronchiolar disorder (n = 1), and subacute hypersensitivity pneumonitis (n = 2). Complications reported after the cryobiopsy procedure consisted of two cases of pneumothorax soon after the biopsy (8.7%), which were successfully managed with the insertion of a chest tube. Transbronchial cryobiopsy represents a robust and mini-invasive method in the characterization of small airway diseases, allowing a low percentage of complications and good diagnostic confidence.
Sarcoidosis is a chronic, multisystem disorder. A 38 years old lady presented at Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II, Kota Bharu ,Malaysia with cough and breathless for 2 months and constitutional symptoms of weight loss and loss of appetite. She was initially treated as smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis for 5 months. However, her clinical condition deteriorated with worsening New York Heart Association (NYHA) class 1 to class 3. Subsequently, workout of computed tomography( CT) thorax showed multiple perilymphatic distribution of nodules and multiple mediastinal lymphadenopathy coupled with pleura biopsy showed non caseating granuloma and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with positive late gadolinium enhancement revised the diagnosis of pulmonary sarcoidosis with cardiac involvement. Patient's functional status and cough improved with immunosuppresant was given in tapering dose fashion.