THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERIARTERITIS NODOSA AND SARCOIDOSIS

Abstract

Five proven cases oi periarteritis nodosa and 1 case of sarcoidosis were presented. Photomicrographs of all of the cases of periarteritis nodosa showed extra-vascular granulomas and some of them with giant cells were reproduced. The similarities of the etiologic, histologic, clinical, biochemical and therapeutic aspects of both entities were discussed. The authors considered it very likely that periarteritis nodosa and sarcoidosis were not 2 distinct and separate entities but constituted different stages of the same disease entity. This entity should be labeled "hypersensitivity granuloma," acute or chronic, perivascular or extravascular. The literature is reviewed in detail.