Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a disease affecting the body's immune system. A characteristic feature of sarcoidosis are inflammatory lumps, called kernels, which occur on various organs and are not absorbed.

Sarcoidosis - causes

Sarcoidosis is a disease whose cause has not yet been precisely determined. It is believed that a certain antigen, a substance that when in the body of a person with a certain genetic predisposition, is accumulated in a tissue with rich lymphatic wastes, is favored. Such tissue is thought to include lymph nodes - full of cells that deal with the defense of our body against infection. If an antigen gets through such cells, they start to fight it. Then clusters of cells are formed, i.e. macrophages, lymphocytes, fibroblasts (i.e. cells fighting against a foreign pathogen), which we call granulomas. Confirmation of their presence in the tissues gives the opportunity to confirm the diagnosis of the disease.

Sarcoidosis - which organs attack the disease?

Sarcoidosis mainly affects the lungs and so-called lymph nodes of the cavities, which are located in the mediastinum, i.e. in the part of the body which is located within the chest protected by the bony armor created by the ribs and the sternum. However, it can also affect other organs: the liver (in this case, most often does not give symptoms), skin, eyes, heart, nervous system, peripheral lymph nodes (i.e. those that are superficially and are available for palpation by the doctor), salivary glands, bones.

Symptoms of sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis may not show any symptoms. If you find yourself in a group of 1/3 patients, you can observe the so-called general symptoms: fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, weight loss, increased body temperature (usually a small increase, but there is also a possibility of high fever reaching even 40 ° C). Other symptoms may also occur. They depend on what organ has been occupied by the disease. And yes:

When the following are occupied:	… it may appear:
lungs	cough, chest pain (usually felt as tightness behind the sternum)
skin	erythema nodosum - the most characteristic skin lesion in sarcoidosis - it is a large, painful red infection usually on the anterior side of the lower leg, below the knee;
muscles, joints, bones	ache
heart	feeling of abnormal heartbeat, palpitations, shortness of breath, edema
the nervous system	symptoms of cranial nerve palsy, compression symptoms associated with the presence of a tumor inside the skull, i.e. headache, nausea, vomiting
salivary glands	painful enlargement of the gland on one or both sides

Lofgren syndrome - a characteristic form of sarcoidosis

It is also possible to have a severe course of the disease, which consists of characteristic symptoms and which we call the Lofgren syndrome:

·         fever

·         joint pain

·         erythema nodular,

·         bilateral enlargement of the lymph nodes of the cavities (visible in radiological examination).

Sarcoidosis - diagnosis

Full diagnosis of this disease takes place in the hospital. First of all, lung imaging is performed. The chest roentgen is very important in the classification of the disease. On its basis, there are 5 stages of sarcoidosis, on which the treatment depends. However, in order to be able to confirm the diagnosis, a morphological study is required, which allows the collection of a tissue in which the presence of characteristic granulomas can be visualized under the microscope. Bronchoscopy, or the introduction of a tube through the oral cavity to the respiratory system, may be such a study. It gives the possibility to collect the lymph node. Depending on the course and duration of the disease, as well as which organs have been occupied by granulomas, it may be necessary to perform other additional tests.

Treatment of sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a disease usually with a good prognosis. In approximately 85% of cases, spontaneous remission occurs within 2 years. In the case of Lofgren's syndrome, the disease may regress without treatment. In other cases, the disease may progress and impair lung function. Respiratory failure may develop. With heart-sarcoidosis, heart failure may develop. The involvement of the nervous system also has a poor prognosis. Fortunately, it is rare.

Not every character and stage of the disease needs treatment. When such treatment is required, steroid medications are used.