Distribution of thoracic lymphadenopathy in sarcoidosis using computed tomography.

The authors used chest computed tomography to determine the distribution of pulmonary lymphadenopathy in 40 patients with sarcoidosis. Using the American Thoracic Society lymph node map, the number and distribution of significant lymph nodes was calculated. Overall, lymphadenopathy was identified in 39 of the 40 patients. Mediastinal adenopathy was present in 38 patients, and hilar adenopathy was present in 27. Commonly involved nodal stations were 4R, 5, 7, 10R, 11R, and 11L, and little involvement was seen in stations 1, 6, and 14. An understanding of the common sites of adenopathy in sarcoidosis is useful when assessing adenopathy in patients without a known diagnosis.