1. What is sarcoidosis?

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease in which clusters of immune cells called granulomas develop in affected tissues. It most commonly involves the lungs and lymph nodes but can affect many other organs.

2. What are the common symptoms of sarcoidosis?

Symptoms depend on the organs involved. Common features include persistent cough, breathlessness, chest discomfort, fatigue, fever, skin lesions, joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. Some patients have no symptoms and are diagnosed incidentally.

3. Can sarcoidosis affect organs other than the lungs?

Yes. Sarcoidosis can involve the skin, eyes, joints, heart, nervous system, liver, kidneys, and other organs. The pattern and severity of involvement vary widely between individuals.

4. Can sarcoidosis affect the joints?

Yes. Sarcoidosis may cause joint pain, swelling, or inflammatory arthritis, commonly involving the ankles. In some patients, arthritis occurs together with erythema nodosum and enlarged lymph nodes in the chest.

5. Can sarcoidosis affect the eyes?

Yes. Sarcoidosis can cause uveitis and other forms of eye inflammation, producing redness, pain, blurred vision, or sensitivity to light. Eye involvement can occasionally be asymptomatic, making appropriate ophthalmological assessment important.

6. Can sarcoidosis affect the heart?

Yes. Cardiac sarcoidosis can affect the heart's electrical system or heart muscle, potentially causing palpitations, fainting, rhythm abnormalities, or heart dysfunction. Suspected cardiac involvement requires specialist assessment.

7. How is sarcoidosis diagnosed?

Diagnosis usually combines clinical features, imaging, laboratory investigations, and often tissue biopsy showing non-caseating granulomas. Other diseases that can produce similar findings, particularly infections, must be appropriately excluded.

8. Is sarcoidosis curable?

Sarcoidosis may resolve spontaneously in some people, while others develop persistent or chronic disease. The outlook depends largely on which organs are involved and the severity of inflammation or permanent organ damage.

9. Does every patient with sarcoidosis require treatment?

No. Patients with mild, stable disease may sometimes require monitoring without medication. Treatment is generally considered when symptoms are significant or when important organs such as the eyes, heart, nervous system, or lungs are threatened.

10. How is sarcoidosis treated?

Corticosteroids are commonly used when treatment is required. Steroid-sparing immunosuppressive medicines or biologic therapies may be considered in selected patients with persistent or severe disease. Treatment is tailored to the organs involved.