Sarcoidosis

Symptoms

• General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (malaise)
• Fever
• Shortness of breath
• Cough
• Skin lesions
• Skin rash
• Headache
• Visual changes
• Neurological changes
• Enlarged lymph glands (armpit lump)
• Enlarged liver
• Enlarged spleen
• Dry mouth
• Fatigue (one of the most common symptoms in children)
• Weight loss (one of the most common symptoms in children)

Additional symptoms of this disease:

• Tearing, decreased
• Seizures
• Nosebleed - symptom
• Joint stiffness
• Hair loss
• Eye burning, itching, and discharge
• Abnormal breath sounds (such as rales)

Note: There may be no symptoms. Most of the time, the disease is found in patients with no symptoms who have an abnormal chest x-ray.

Exams and Tests

• CBC
• Chem-7 or chem-20
• ACE levels
• Chest x-ray to see if the lungs are involved or lymph nodes are enlarged
• CT scan
• Lymph node biopsy
• Skin lesion biopsy
• Bronchoscopy
• Open lung biopsy
• Liver biopsy
• Kidney biopsy
• EKG to see if the heart is involved

This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:

• Quantitative immunoglobulins (nephelometry)
• PTH
• Serum phosphorus
• Nerve biopsy
• Mediastinoscopy with biopsy
• Lung gallium (Ga.) scan
• Immunoelectrophoresis - serum
• Calcium - urine
• Calcium - ionized
• Calcium - serum
• Liver function tests

References

Goldman L, Ausiello D. Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa:Saunders; 2003.

Cox CE, Donohue JF, Brown CD, Kataria YP, Judson MA. Health-related quality of life of persons with sarcoidosis. Chest. March 2004;125:997-1004.

Cox CE, Davis-Allen A, Judson MA. Sarcoidosis. Med Clin North Am. July 2005;89:817-828.