Sarcoidosis pleural effusion: a not so common feature of a well known pulmonary disease.

Pleural involvement in sarcoidosis with the development of pleural effusion is a not so common occurrence. The incidence reported in the literature is approximately 1–10%. Pleural effusion related to sarcoidosis is diagnosed when other more common etiologies are excluded. It is slightly more common on the right side, and is usually an exudate with lymphocytic predominance. I report a case of pleural effusion in sarcoidosis in which the CD4/CD8 T lymphocytes ratio and the level of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) were measured in the pleural fluid. Sarcoidosis pleural effusion should be considered in any patient with a pleural effusion and documented sarcoidosis, and it should be differentiated from other common causes of pleural effusions (eg, volume overload, malignancy, or infection).