Sarcoidosis

[Dianne]

Sarcoidosis is a disease in which abnormal collections of inflammatory cells (granulomas) form in many organs of the body.

Sarcoidosis usually develops in people aged 20 to 40, most often people of Scandinavian ancestry and American blacks.
It can affect many organs, most commonly the lungs.
People typically cough and have difficulty breathing but can have various symptoms, depending on which organs are affected.
Diagnosis usually requires chest x-ray, usually computed tomography, and analysis of a sample of tissue (biopsy), usually from the lungs.
Symptoms eventually subside without treatment in most people.
Treatment, when necessary, begins with corticosteroids.

The cause of sarcoidosis is unknown. It may result from an infection or from an abnormal response of the immune system to a substance encountered in the environment, such as mold or mildew. Inherited factors seem to be important. Sarcoidosis typically develops between the ages of 20 and 40. It is most common among people of Scandinavian ancestry and American blacks, although it can occur in anyone.
Sarcoidosis is characterized by the presence of collections of inflammatory cells (granulomas). The disease is primarily one of the lungs and lymph nodes, but granulomas can also form in any organ, including the liver, eyes, and skin, and less often the spleen, bones, joints, sinuses, skeletal muscles, kidneys, heart, reproductive organs, salivary glands, and nervous system. The granulomas may eventually disappear completely or become scar tissue.
Sarcoidosis may manifest as certain syndromes.