Sarcoidosis: what it is, symptoms and how to treat

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease, of unknown cause, characterized by inflammation in various parts of the body, such as lung, liver, skin, and eyes, in addition to the formation of water, resulting in excessive tiredness, fever or weight loss, for example.

Although the cause of sarcoidosis is not yet well established, it is believed that it can be caused by the organism's response to one or more invading agents, or even due to the organism's reaction against itself, therefore being considered an auto disease -immune.

Sarcoidosis has no cure, however it is of great importance to carry out the treatment to avoid possible complications, such as respiratory and renal failure, blindness and paraplegia, for example.

Sarcoidosis symptoms

According to the location where the greatest evidence of inflammation is found, sarcoidosis can be classified according to symptoms mainly in:

1. Pulmonary sarcoidosis

Lung impairment occurs in more than 90% of people diagnosed with sarcoidosis, and the inflammatory process can be perceived through chest radiography. The main symptoms related to pulmonary sarcoidosis are a persistent, dry cough due to obstructions in the airways, difficulty breathing and chest pain.

In addition, depending on the stage of inflammation, the person may have fibrosis of the lung tissue, requiring transplantation, in addition to pulmonary arterial hypertension.

2. Sarcoidosis of the skin

In which there is the appearance of inflammatory lesions on the skin, being present in more than 30% of people diagnosed with sarcoidosis. The main symptoms of this type of sarcoidosis are the formation of keloids, the appearance of red spots on the skin and changes in color, in addition to the growth of pellets under the skin, especially in areas close to scars.

In addition, the lesions can appear at the level of the eyebrows and also affect the nasogenian groove, which is popularly known as the Chinese mustache.

3. Ocular sarcoidosis

In the case of eye involvement, the most characteristic symptoms are blurred vision, eye pain, redness, dry eyes and hypersensitivity to light. The frequency of clinical manifestations of sarcoidosis related to the eyes varies according to the population, being more frequent in Japanese.

It is important that eye symptoms are treated, as otherwise it can result in blindness.

4. Cardiac sarcoidosis

Cardiac involvement in sarcoidosis is more frequent in the Japanese population and its main symptoms are heart failure and changes in heart rate.

How the diagnosis is made

The initial diagnosis of sarcoidosis is made by the doctor by observing the symptoms and carrying out tests to indicate whether there was organ involvement. Thus, the doctor can indicate, mainly, the performance of chest radiography, since the lung is the organ most affected in this disease.

The diagnosis of this disease, however, is difficult, since the cause is not yet well established. For this reason, complementary laboratory tests are usually requested, as well as biopsy of the granulomatous lesion or the affected organ and other imaging tests, such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

How to treat

Sarcoidosis has no cure, however, treatment aims to relieve symptoms and prevent disease progression. Thus, the doctor may recommend the use of corticosteroid drugs, such as Betamethasone or Dexamethasone, or immunosuppressive drugs, such as Azathioprine, for example.

In the case of organ impairment, it is important that the doctor assesses the extent of the impairment, as well as whether there is still any function, and organ transplants may be necessary depending on the case.

It is also recommended that the person diagnosed with sarcoidosis should be monitored periodically by the doctor, even if he does not present symptoms, so that the evolution of the disease and response to treatment can be checked.