Sarcoidosis is a rare systemic disease. It is more common in women. It mostly affects the lymph glands and lungs. It also affects other organs such as eyes, skin, bones, heart and brain.
The exact cause is not clear. Genetic and environmental factors are blamed. Lung and lymph gland involvement can be seen incidentally, or sometimes in severe forms that progress to severe respiratory failure.
The first doctor consulted is often a pulmonologist. Sometimes they go to a dermatologist because of skin lesions
(erythema nodusum, etc.) and sometimes to an ophthalmologist
because of eye uveitis. If skin or eye lesions are evaluated as compatible with sarcoidosis, they are sent to a pulmonologist.
A biopsy of the lungs or lymph nodes is required for a definitive diagnosis. In some patients, the findings are very typical and can be followed without biopsy. Sometimes, there may be patients who look like a mass on chest x-ray or computed tomography and can be confused with lung cancer. In these patients
biopsy is absolutely necessary. Not every patient diagnosed with sarcoidosis requires treatment. However
If vital organs (heart, brain, serious eye involvement) are affected, treatment must be started. It is followed up in patients with asymptomatic lesions in the lung. Most of them regress spontaneously.
Treatment is required in patients with progressive shortness of breath and deterioration in respiratory function tests
.
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