Things we should know about Sarcoidosis

What is Sarcoidosis?

Sarcoidosis is the growth of tiny collections of inflammatory cells in different parts of your body  most commonly the lungs, lymph nodes, eyes and skin.

Doctors believe sarcoidosis results from the body’s immune system responding to an unknown substance, most likely something inhaled from the air. There is no cure for sarcoidosis, but most people do very well with modest treatment. Sarcoidosis often goes away on its own. Alternatively, signs and symptoms of sarcoidosis may last for years and sometimes lead to organ damage.

Who Gets Sarcoidosis?

Sarcoidosis most often occurs between 20 and 40 years of age, with women being diagnosed more frequently than men. The disease is 10 to 17 times more common in African-Americans than in Caucasians. People of Scandinavian, German, Irish, or Puerto Rican origin are also more prone to the disease. It is estimated that up to four in 10,000 people in the U.S. have sarcoidosis.

What Are the Symptoms of Sarcoidosis?

The symptoms of sarcoidosis can vary greatly, depending on which organs are involved. Most patients initially complain of a persistent dry cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Other symptoms may include:

• Tender reddish bumps or patches on the skin.
• Red and teary eyes or blurred vision.
• Swollen and painful joints.
• Enlarged and tender lymph glands in the neck, armpits, and groin.
• Enlarged lymph glands in the chest and around the lungs.
• Hoarse voice.
• Pain in the hands, feet, or other bony areas due to the formation of cysts (an abnormal sac-like growth) in bones.
• Kidney stone formation.
• Enlarged liver.
• Development of abnormal or missed heart beats (arrhythmias), inflammation of the covering of the heart (pericarditis), or heart failure.
• Nervous system effects, including hearing loss, meningitis, seizures, or psychiatric disorders (for example, dementia, depression, psychosis).

In some people, symptoms may begin suddenly and/or severely and subside in a short period of time. Others may have no outward symptoms at all even though organs are affected. Still others may have symptoms that appear slowly and subtly, but which last or recur over a long time span.