From the Guidelines
Sarcoidosis symptoms vary widely, often affecting multiple organs with the lungs being most commonly involved, and can include persistent dry cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, night sweats, weight loss, and general malaise, as well as skin, eye, and cardiac manifestations 1.
Common Symptoms
- Persistent dry cough
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Fatigue
- Night sweats
- Weight loss
- General malaise
Organ-Specific Symptoms
- Skin manifestations: rashes, nodules, or erythema nodosum (painful red bumps on the shins) 1
- Eye symptoms: blurred vision, eye pain, redness, and light sensitivity
- Lymph node enlargement, particularly in the chest and neck
- Joint pain, muscle weakness, or neurological symptoms like headaches or facial nerve paralysis
- Cardiac involvement: palpitations or irregular heartbeats
Disease Severity and Progression
- Symptoms can develop gradually and wax and wane over time
- Severity ranges from mild to debilitating
- Some cases resolve spontaneously, while others require long-term treatment
- The disease can affect virtually any organ system, making diagnosis challenging and often delayed 1
Asymptomatic Cases
- Up to 30% of patients are asymptomatic, with the condition discovered incidentally on chest imaging 1
From the Research
Symptoms of Sarcoidosis
The symptoms of sarcoidosis can vary widely and depend on the organs involved. Some common symptoms include:
- Fatigue, night sweats, weight loss, fever, arthralgia, and myalgia as systemic symptoms 2
- Cough and dyspnea in cases of pulmonary involvement 3, 4
- Headache and palsy in neurosarcoidosis 2
- Arrhythmias and heart failure in cardiac sarcoidosis 2
- Manifold skin lesions with skin involvement 2
- Dry cough, dyspnea, and chest discomfort as the most common clinical symptoms of sarcoidosis 4
- Nonspecific digestive and abdominal symptoms, as well as arthralgias, in cases of abdominal presenting illness 5
Organ-Specific Symptoms
The symptoms of sarcoidosis can also be specific to the organs involved, such as:
- Lymphadenopathy as a typical imaging manifestation of sarcoidosis 4
- Exertional dyspnea in cases of respiratory symptoms 5
- Abdominal symptoms, such as gastroesophageal reflux or irritable bowel syndrome, which can be disproportionately frequent in sarcoidosis patients 5
Variability of Symptoms
It is worth noting that the symptoms of sarcoidosis can be highly variable, and many patients may be asymptomatic despite radiological changes 2, 4. The disease can also present with a wide range of symptoms, from mild to severe, and can affect multiple organs simultaneously 3, 5.