[Asymptomatic chronic intrahepatic cholestasis and multiple hypodense nodules in the liver and the spleen: manifestations of a case of sarcoidosis].

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology which may present multiple clinical manifestations. Liver involvement is observed among 21-79% of the cases. Nonetheless, hepatic sarcoidosis is usually asymptomatic and the finding of cholestasis is an infrequent complication. In the last few years, the presence of multiple hypodense nodules in the liver and spleen has been described in 5-15% of these patients following the application of dynamic intravenous techniques in abdominal CT scan. Although the histopathologic study of these nodules suggests that their formation is due to the coalescence of the microscopic granulomas, the cause of this aggregation remains unknown. A case of hepatic sarcoidosis presenting chronic cholestasis and whose abdominal tomographic study with intravenous contrast demonstrated the existence of hypodense lesions in the liver and spleen suggesting malignant disseminated disease is reported.