Sarcoidosis Vasc Dif
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Sarcoidosis Vasc Dif · Jun 2003
Case ReportsFamilial clustering of dendriform pulmonary ossification.
Dendriform pulmonary ossification is an extremely rare disease, which is usually found and analysed postmortem. Pathogenesis of pulmonary ossification is therefore still unknown. ⋯ Familial clustering of pulmonary ossifications strongly suggests a genetic predisposition for the pathogenesis. This is the first report of two cases of dendriform pulmonary ossification in the same family.
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Sarcoidosis Vasc Dif · Jun 2003
Misdiagnosis of sarcoidosis in patients with chronic beryllium disease.
Sarcoidosis (SA) is a chronic systemic disorder characterized by infiltration of inflammatory cells in affected organs, resulting in the formation of granulomas. Granulomas are observed in numerous infectious diseases and hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., beryllium). Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) is a multisystem entity caused by dust, fumes or mists of beryllium metal or its salts. Although beryllium has been used for years by several industries in Israel, no case of CBD had ever been reported until recently when we described a 21-year-old female dental technician with CBD who was originally diagnosed as having SA. We launched the current investigation to test the hypothesis that other cases of CBD in Israel were not previously reported because these patients were misdiagnosed as having SA. ⋯ Our findings emphasize the vital importance of taking a comprehensive occupational history in the clinical evaluation of patients suspected of having SA.