Question:
I received
a letter from my doctor after getting a chest x-ray last week.
It says
there is some volume loss in the right lung as well as prominence
of the Hilum.
Is there
a possibility of cancer?
I was
diagnosed with Sarcoid so I'm wondering what this could be pertaining
to.
I'm also
in end stage of Cirrhosis and beginning of liver failure.
Could
all of this have something to do with the volume loss in my right
lung?
Any answers
would be appreciated.
Thank
You for your time
Cheryl
Answer:
Dear
Cheryl,
There
are many diseases that can cause enlargement or prominence
of the hilum.
In non-smoker
people the majority of these are not cancer. This includes lymph node
enlargement that can occur along with pneumonia.
Intrathoracic
lymphadenopathy may cause a loss of volume of the right lung.
Sarcoidosis
is a relatively rare autoimmune
disease that can affect the skin, lungs, heart, brain and nervous
system, eyes, and other organs.
Although
the disease was first recognized about 100 years ago, little is known
about what causes it and there is no cure.
Sarcoidosis
is most often suspected when hilar adenopathy is incidentally detected
on chest x-ray.
During
the course of the disease, over 90% of patients with sarcoidosis manifest
abnormalities on chest radiographs.
Destruction
of lung parenchyma may lead to architectural distortion, hilar retraction,
upper-lobe volume loss, broad and coarse septal bands, honeycomb change,
and large bullae.
Upper
lung volume loss is found in sarcoidosis.
In CT
(computed tomographic) the presence of mediastinal or hilar lymphadenopathies
and thickened bronchovascular bundles are landmarks for the diagnosis
of pulmonary sarcoidosis.
Mediastinal
lymphadenopathy can occur with sarcoidosis.
Lymphadenopathy
is a frequent CT finding in primary biliary cirrhosis and that recognition
can help prevent misdiagnosis of lymphoma or metastatic disease.
There
is a high prevalence of lymphadenopathy in liver disease patients.
Lymphadenopathy
is the disease of the lymph nodes.
A lymph
node is a small ball-shaped organ of the immune system, distributed
widely throughout the body.
