From the Guidelines
Signs and Symptoms of Sarcoidosis
Sarcoidosis is a disease that can affect multiple organs, and its clinical presentation exhibits a spectrum of manifestations ranging from asymptomatic to progressive and relapsing disease 1.
- The disease can lead to pulmonary impairment, cardiac involvement, including sudden cardiac death or congestive heart failure, and even death due to complications of progressive pulmonary fibrosis 1.
- Common signs and symptoms include bilateral hilar adenopathy, Löfgren’s syndrome, lupus pernio, and Heerfordt’s syndrome, which are considered highly specific for the disease 1.
- Other features associated with sarcoidosis include fevers, night sweats, weight loss, fatigue, and small-fibre neuropathy 1.
- Cutaneous sarcoidosis can present as papules, plaques, nodules, vitiligo, ulcers, alopecia, or subcutaneous nodules, and can be cosmetically burdensome and difficult to treat 1.
- Pulmonary sarcoidosis can cause dyspnoea, chest pain, cough, malaise, fatigue, and arthralgia, leading to a significant loss of quality of life 1.
- Cardiac involvement can lead to sudden cardiac death or congestive heart failure, and is a major cause of death in some populations, such as in Japan 1.
From the Research
Signs and Symptoms of Sarcoidosis
The signs and symptoms of sarcoidosis can vary depending on the organs affected. Some common symptoms include:
- Persistent dry cough 2, 3, 4
- Eye and skin manifestations, such as erythema nodosum 2
- Weight loss 2, 3, 4
- Fatigue 2, 3, 5, 6, 4
- Night sweats 2
- Shortness of breath 3, 4
- Chest pain 3
- Fever 4
- Unintentional weight loss 4
Organ-Specific Symptoms
Sarcoidosis can affect various organs, leading to specific symptoms, including:
- Lung involvement: cough, shortness of breath, chest pain 3, 5, 4
- Skin involvement: erythema nodosum, skin lesions 2, 5
- Eye involvement: vision impairment, eye pain 5
- Liver involvement: liver dysfunction, abdominal pain 5
- Cardiac involvement: cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure 5
- Neurologic involvement: neurological symptoms, such as numbness or tingling 4
Systemic Symptoms
Some patients with sarcoidosis may experience systemic symptoms, including: