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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffThere's no cure for sarcoidosis. You may not need treatment if you don't have significant signs and symptoms of the condition. Sarcoidosis often goes away on its own. But you should be monitored closely with regular chest X-rays and exams of the eyes, skin and any other organ involved.
Medications
If organ function is threatened, you will likely be treated with a medication.
- Corticosteroids. These powerful anti-inflammatory drugs are usually the first-line treatment for sarcoidosis. In some cases, corticosteroids can be applied directly to an affected area — via a cream to a skin lesion or with an inhaler to your lungs.
- Anti-rejection medications. These medications reduce inflammation by suppressing your immune system.
- Anti-malarial medications. These medications may be helpful for skin disease, nervous system involvement and elevated blood-calcium levels.
- Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors. These medications are most commonly used to treat the inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis. They can also be helpful in treating sarcoidosis that doesn't respond to other treatments.
Surgery
Organ transplant may be considered if sarcoidosis has severely damaged your lungs or liver.
References
- Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2013:5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-08373-7..00002-9&isbn=978-0-323-08373-7&about=true&uniqId=343863096-23. Accessed Oct. 31, 2012.
- Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/191371208-2/0/1492/0.html#. Accessed Oct. 31, 2012.
- Baughman RP, et al. A concise review of pulmonary sarcoidosis. American Journal of Respiratory and Clinical Care Medicine. 2011;183:573.
- AskMayoExpert. What is the treatment for sarcoidosis? Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
- AskMayoExpert. Is sarcoidosis considered an urgent situation? Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
- AskMayoExpert. What are the clinical symptoms of sarcoidosis? Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
- O'Regan A, et al. Sarcoidosis. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2012;156:ICT5:1.
- AskMayoExpert. If sarcoidosis is suspected, should the patient be referred to a pulmonologist? Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
- Morgenthau AS, et al. Recent advances in sarcoidosis. Chest. 2011;139:174.
- AskMayoExpert. What clinical tests should be performed when sarcoidosis is suspected? Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
- AskMayoExpert. What are the considerations for treatment of sarcoidosis symptoms? Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
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