[Granulomatous gastritis of the antrum in generalized sarcoidosis].

A 42-year-old man had a 4 year history of sarcoidosis stage II (lung). In biopsied specimens of the antrum we found epithelioid granulomas caused by gastric involvement in sarcoidosis. Coincidentally we found a gastric ulcer which was later the source of gastric bleeding. The granulomas were located around this ulcer and also under intact mucosa. Therefore, in our opinion it was not the case that granulomatous gastritis caused the ulceration in a direct way. We saw a connection between hypercalcemia--often found in patients with sarcoidosis, as in our patient--and the gastric ulcer. Therapy was thus aimed at lowering the blood calcium concentration. Steroids were avoided at this time. The ulceration healed, although granulomatous gastritis continued.