Sarcoidosis

What is Sarcoidosis?

Sarcoidosis involves inflammation that produces tiny lumps of cells in various organs in your body. The lumps are called granulomas (gran"u-lo'mahs) because they look like grains of sugar or sand. They are very small and can be seen only with a microscope.

Sarcoidosis was identified in the late 1860s. Since then, scientists have developed better tests to diagnose it and made advances in treating it.

Sarcoidosis is more common in women than men, and more common in adults between 20 and 40 years of age.

Types of Sarcoidosis

Acute Sarcoidosis - about 75 percent of patients have the acute form of sarcoidosis. About half of these have no long term damage or significant problems. Sarcoidosis is often a mild condition with no permanent damage to the body's tissue.

Chronic Sarcoidosis - about 25 percent of patients develop chronic sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis can be present for years causing organ and system damage whilst reducing the patients physical activity. Scarring of the tissue in the lungs, skin eyes or other organs is common.

Diagnosis and test of Sarcoidosis

A number of tests can be used when diagnosing sarcoidosis. A physical examination of the patient may show sarcoidosis symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, redness in the eyes and red bumps on the skin.

Treatment of sarcoidosis

From overseas studies, 8 out of 10 patients with sarcoidosis require no treatment because the granulomas go away by themselves. These patients usually have a milder form of sarcoidosis. In the other 20% treatment with Corticosteroid (usually Prednisolone) will usually "dissolve" the granulomas with little trace. Treatment may last for one or two years but sometimes longer until the disease comes under control.

Amyloidosis
Connective tissue naevi
Dermatofibroma
Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
Ehler's Danlos syndrome
Elastosis perforans serpiginosa
Keloids & hypertrophic scars
Lipodystrophy
Lipoma
Mastocytoma
Neurofibroma
Pseudoxanthoma elasticum
Reactive perforating collagenosis
Striae (stretch marks)
Eosinophilic fasciitis
Erythema multiforme
Histiocytoses
Jessner's lymphocytic infiltrate
Langerhans cell histiocytosis
Lymphocytoma cutis
Lymphomatoid papulosis
Mastocytosis
Morphoea
Non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis
Panniculitis
Reticulohistiocytosis
Sweet's disease
Systemic sclerosis
Atypical mycobacterial infection
Granuloma faciale
Granuloma annulare
Cutaneous tuberculosis
Leprosy
Pyogenic granuloma
Sarcoidosis