From the Guidelines
Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease that can affect multiple organs, including the lungs, heart, brain, eyes, kidneys, skin, and lymph nodes.
Organs Affected by Sarcoidosis
- Lungs: pulmonary disease is a common manifestation of sarcoidosis, and can lead to pulmonary hypertension, reduced lung function, and pulmonary fibrosis 1
- Heart: cardiac disease is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in sarcoidosis patients, and can lead to arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, and sudden cardiac death 1
- Brain: neurologic manifestations of sarcoidosis can include seizures, headaches, and cranial nerve deficits 1
- Eyes: ocular involvement is common in sarcoidosis, and can lead to uveitis, conjunctivitis, and vision loss 1
- Kidneys: renal involvement can occur in sarcoidosis, and can lead to kidney failure and end-stage renal disease 1
- Skin: cutaneous manifestations of sarcoidosis can include lupus pernio, erythema nodosum, and skin plaques 1
- Lymph nodes: lymphadenopathy is a common feature of sarcoidosis, and can be seen in the chest radiograph as bilateral hilar adenopathy 1 It is essential to assess organ involvement and risk for significant morbidity when making treatment decisions for sarcoidosis patients 1.
From the Research
Organs Affected by Sarcoidosis
- The pulmonary system is commonly affected by sarcoidosis, as well as other organs including:
- Virtually any organ can be affected by sarcoidosis, with clinical presentations ranging from asymptomatic to organ failure 4
- The frequency of organ involvement can vary, with lung involvement being the most common, affecting at least 90% of patients, followed by skin, eye, liver, and peripheral lymph node involvement 5
- Some organs, such as the heart, may be affected in a significant percentage of patients, but may only cause clinical problems in a small percentage of cases 5