Gallium67 citrate scanning in patients with lacrimal gland and conjunctival sarcoidosis. A report on three cases.

Gallium citrate Ga67 scanning of the head and thorax of 3 patients with sarcoidosis is presented. Two patients had a progressive pulmonary sarcoidosis of recent onset and in one patient, with a chronic course of the disease, the lung changes had resolved. All 3 patients had a conjunctival sarcoid change confirmed by biopsy and a lacrimal gland affection suggested by clinical examination. A highly increased Ga67 uptake in the lacrimal and parotid glands as well as in the nasopharynx was found in all patients, and an increased lung uptake was found in the newly detected cases. It is concluded that gallium scanning is a sensitive method for detecting minute ophthalmic changes in sarcoidosis. It also reveals chronic localized ocular affection in cases in which the lung changes are no longer detectable. The mechanism and specificity of gallium uptake in sarcoidosis is also discussed.