Gastric sarcoidosis presenting with haematemesis

Abstract

Sarcoidosis is a very rare disease in Singapore. Sarcoid granuloma involving the stomach alone is even more rare, and only about 21 cases have been reported in the literature up to 1953. In a review of the literature, Wadina and Melamed (1966) found 34 cases of granulomatous involvement of the stomach, all purporting to be sarcoidosis. However, on closer examination of the evidence, many of these 34 cases of so called sarcoidosis of the stomach were subject to doubt. Bleeding from gastric sarcoidosis is also rare, and only about 8 cases have been reported in the literature up to 1970. The present report presents a further example of this rare cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (Indian woman of 49) and attempts to review the significance of sarcoid granulomas in the stomach.