Sarcoidosis and Fever

Introduction to Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis can cause fever as part of its systemic inflammatory presentation, though bilateral hilar adenopathy without B symptoms (including fever) is more typical of the disease, according to the American Thoracic Society 1

The American College of Chest Physicians recommends excluding alternative diagnoses first, as the diagnosis of sarcoidosis requires ruling out other causes of granulomatous disease, including infections 1
The presence of B symptoms (fevers, night sweats, and weight loss) is specifically mentioned in diagnostic guidelines, though their absence in the context of bilateral hilar adenopathy is considered strongly associated with sarcoidosis, as stated by the American Thoracic Society 1
Atypical symptoms such as fever and productive cough should trigger infectious disease consultation in patients being evaluated for pulmonary manifestations, as suggested by the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer 2