What is sarcoidosis?
Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that affects multiple organs in the body, but mostly the lungs and lymph glands. In patients with sarcoidosis, abnormal masses or nodules (called granulomas) consisting of inflamed tissues form in certain organs of the body. These granulomas may alter the normal structure and possibly the function of the affected organ(s).
Who is at risk for the disease?
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 4 in 10,000 people in the United States have sarcoidosis.
What causes sarcoidosis?
The exact cause of sarcoidosis is not known. The disease is associated with an abnormal immune response, but what triggers this response is uncertain. How sarcoidosis spreads from one part of the body to another is still being studied.
What are the symptoms of sarcoidosis?
The symptoms of sarcoidosis can vary greatly, depending on which organs are involved. Most patients initially com-plain of a persistent dry cough, fatigue and shortness of breath. Other symptoms and disease characteristics 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
Nasal stuffiness and 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 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.
How is sarcoidosis diagnosed?
There is no single way to diagnose sarcoidosis, since all the symptoms and laboratory results can occur in other diseases. For this reason, your doctor will carefully review your medical history and examine you to determine if you have sarcoidosis. The main tools your doctor will use to diagnose sarcoidosis include:
Chest x-rays--to look for cloudiness (pulmonary infiltrates) or swollen lymph glands (lymphadenopathy)
CT scan--to provide an even more detailed look at the lungs and lymph glands than provided by a chest x-ray
Pulmonary function (breathing) tests--to measure how well the lungs are working
Bronchoscopy--Bronchoscopy involves passing a small tube (bronchoscope) down the trachea (windpipe) and into the bronchial tubes (airways) of the lungs. The purpose of this test is to inspect the bronchial tubes and to extract a biopsy (a small tissue sample) to look for granulomas and to obtain material to rule out infection.
How is the condition treated?
There is no cure for sarcoidosis, but the disease may get better on its own over time. Many people with sarcoidosis have mild symptoms and do not require any treatment. Treatment, when it is needed, is given to reduce symptoms and to maintain the proper working order of the affected organs.
Treatments generally fall into two categories--maintenance of good health practices and drug treatment. Good health practices include:
Getting regular check-ups with your health care provider
Eating a well-balanced diet with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables
Drinking 8 to 10, 8-ounce glasses of water a day
Getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night
Exercising regularly and managing and maintaining your weight
Quitting smoking
Drug treatments are used to relieve symptoms and reduce the inflammation of the affected tissues. The oral corticosteroid prednisone is the most commonly used treatment. Fatigue and persistent cough are usually improved with steroid treatment. If steroids are prescribed, the patient should see their doctor at regular intervals so that he or she can monitor the disease and the side effects of treatment. Other treatment options include methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine and other drugs.
What can happen as the disease progresses?
In many people with sarcoidosis, the disease appears briefly and then disappears without the person even knowing they have the disease. Twenty to 30 percent of people have some permanent lung damage. For 10 to 15 percent, sarcoidosis is a chronic condition. In some people, the disease may result in the deterioration of the affected organ. Sarcoidosis can be fatal in 5 to 10 percent of patients.
აი კიდევ
http://dermnetnz.org/dermal-infiltrative/sarcoidosis.htmlRisk appears to be greater if you are of African-American, Scandinavian, German, Irish or Puerto Rican descent.
Mainly affects people between 20-40 years of age.
Risk is two times greater in black women than in black men
მოკლედ, ქართველი მამაკაცებისათვის დაავადების შანსი ნაკლებია
შეგიძლიათ, მშვიდად იყოთ
This post has been edited by Solveig on 2 Dec 2005, 23:52 
სარკოიდოზი, რა იციტ ამ დაავადების შესახებ?
