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Treatment-induced sarcoidosis in a patient with metastatic clear cell ovarian cancer
  1. Kathryn DeCarli1,2,
  2. Rebecca Masel1,2,
  3. Andrew Hsu1,2 and
  4. Mary Lopresti1,2
  1. 1Division of Hematology/Oncology, Lifespan Health System, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
  2. 2Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Kathryn DeCarli; kathryn.decarli{at}lifespan.org

Abstract

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease that commonly presents with lung or lymphatic system manifestations. Diagnosis is often delayed due to variable clinical presentation. This is a case of a patient with metastatic clear cell ovarian cancer who developed disease reoccurence after definitive treatment with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. She was treated with multiple lines of therapy, including investigational agents. During this time, she developed mediastinal lymphadenopathy and hypercalcaemia. Due to suspicion that her presentation was not a manifestation of her malignancy, she underwent two lymph node biopsies revealing granulomatous disease. She was initiated on prednisone for management of sarcoidosis, which led to radiologic, laboratory and symptomatic improvement. Although the precipitating factor for this patient’s sarcoidosis cannot be definitively determined, nivolumab is a possible culprit. This case highlights the importance of a broad differential diagnosis when a patient undergoing antineoplastic treatment develops mediastinal lymphadenopathy or hypercalcaemia.

  • cancer intervention
  • gynecological cancer
  • unwanted effects / adverse reactions

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Footnotes

  • Contributors All authors contributed to the research, writing and editing of this case report.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.