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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffIn about two-thirds of people with sarcoidosis, the condition resolves with no lasting consequences. But in some people, sarcoidosis can become chronic and lead to complications that may affect different parts of your body, such as your:
- Lungs. Untreated pulmonary sarcoidosis can lead to irreversible damage to the tissue between the air sacs in your lungs, making it difficult to breathe.
- Eyes. Inflammation can affect almost any part of your eye and can eventually cause blindness. Sarcoidosis can also cause cataracts and glaucoma. However, this is rare.
- Kidneys. Sarcoidosis can affect how your body handles calcium and this can result in kidney failure.
- Heart. Granulomas within your heart can interfere with the electrical signals that drive your heartbeat, which can cause abnormal heart rhythms and even death. This occurs very rarely.
- Nervous system. A small percentage of people with sarcoidosis develop problems related to the central nervous system when granulomas form in the brain and spinal cord. Inflammation in the facial nerves can cause facial paralysis.
- Reproductive system. In men, sarcoidosis can affect the testes and possibly cause infertility. Women with sarcoidosis may find it more difficult to conceive, and their signs and symptoms may worsen after delivery.
References
- Sarcoidosis. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/sarc/sar_whatis.html. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Ferri FF. Sarcoidosis. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/196535409-4/986729825/2088/583.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05609-0..00028-9--sc0020_11937. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Weinberger SE. Sarcoidosis. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/196535409-4/986729825/1492/382.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50100-2_4032. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Dempsey OJ, et al. Sarcoidosis. British Medical Journal. 2009;339:620.
- King TE. Patient information: Sarcoidosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Rosenow EC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 5, 2010.
- King CS, et al. Treatment of sarcoidosis. Disease a Month. 2009;55:704.
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