swollen lymph noid causing cough?

[Jerry and Lisa]

Our friend jerry is experiencing a cronic cough, has had multiple test done and found swollen lymph noid in the back. Liver funtion at 50%. He is on medical leave currently and can not do anything without exerting himself because it brings on fit of cough that takes everything out of him. He has no energy and has lost about 30lbs in the last 7-8 weeks. Dr.s are baffled as to why liver funtion is affected because all test results came back clean except for the swollen L.N which they will be doing a tissue culture next week. This is a lifetime for us to wait. Do you have any insight as to what he might be facing?

[National Jewish]

Thorough examination of this cough will require a skilled lung specialist, called a pulmonologist.  This will include a number of tests such as, examining tissue from the lymph nodes through a microscope, a CT scan of the chest, and probably a bronchoscopy.  When the problem is not seen on a CT scan, then a bronchoscopy is done.  During this procedure a bronchoscope is passed through the nose into the windpipe to look inside the lungs.  A bronchoscope is a flexible tube with a small camera at one end.  With the bronchoscope tiny pieces of lung tissue can be taken for further testing.  This is called lung biopsy.  It is done to be certain about the cause of the problem.

A thorough examine of the liver by a GI specialist, called a gastroenterologist may also be needed.  This examine may include a liver biopsy.  This procedure is used to get tissue from the liver to be examined through a microscope.  Like the lung biopsy this is done to be certain about the cause of the problem.  Your friend should have these examinations without further delay.

The 30-pound weight loss could be a reflection of a loss of appetite due to the severe cough.  However it is more likely related to the problem that has caused both the lack of energy and the cough.  That problem must be found before proper treatment can be started.

[Jerry and Lisa]

We just found out that it's a possibillity that what Jerry has might be sarcoidosis. This is much better than we expected, of course we still have to wait for the test results to come back from biopsy from the liver. with this new information can you tell us what to expect.