What is sarcoidosis?

Sarcoidosis is an immunological disease that develops due to abnormal response of the immune system. It's noted that sarcoidosis resolves spontaneously in some cases; while on other cases it could lasts a lifetime.

Clinical picture varies according to the affected organ (lungs, thoracic lymph nodes, eyes, skin).

Generally, the common clinical picture associated with sarcoidosis includes the following:

• Fever, fatigue, dizziness and malaise.
• Tight chest and dry cough.
• Loss of appetite associated with marked weight loss.
• Purple skin rash resembles ecchymotic patches in face and upper extremities.
• Arthritis
• Enlarged lymph nodes.

  Proper and urgent management is necessary to avoid sarcoidosis-associated complications such as:

• Lung fibrosis.
• Glaucoma and vision deterioration up to blindness.
• Epileptic seizures.
• Diabetes insipidus.
• Male infertility.
• Hepatomegaly and hepatic failure.
• Renal failure.

Clinical signs of sarcoidosis are similar to those in many other diseases such as lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis, so diagnostic investigations should be done; they include:

• Chest x-ray or CT; for assessment of lung fibrosis.
• Pulmonary function test.
• Kidney & liver function tests.
• Serum calcium.

Management of sarcoidosis consists of cortisone and immunosuppressive drugs as well as symptomatic treatment.