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Sarcoidosis
Complications
Sarcoidosis can
lead to a number of complications, including:
-
Lung
fibrosis.
Untreated pulmonary sarcoidosis can lead to irreversible scarring
(fibrosis) of the tissue between the air sacs in your lungs, making
it extremely difficult to breathe.
-
Eye
disease.
Some people with sarcoidosis develop eye problems. Inflammation can
affect almost any part of your eye and usually causes watering and
redness. In a few cases, sarcoidosis can lead to blindness or
serious eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma.
-
Skin
disease.
Sarcoidosis affects the skin in some people with the disease, many
of them black. One common complication is a condition called
erythema nodosum, which is characterized by red bumps that occur
primarily on your shins. The bumps are usually peanut-sized and can
range in number from just a few to more than 20 on each leg.
Erythema nodosum can also be associated with aching or swelling in
your legs and may be accompanied by arthritis in your elbows,
ankles, wrists and hands.
-
Neurologic
problems.
A small percentage of people with sarcoidosis develop neurologic
problems when granulomas form in the brain and spinal cord.
Inflammation in the facial nerves can cause facial paralysis.
-
Fertility
problems.
Severe sarcoidosis may make it difficult for some women to become
pregnant, but many women with the disease give birth to healthy
children. If you're planning a pregnancy, talk to your doctor.
-
Heart and
liver problems.
Sarcoidosis that affects your heart can cause a number of
complications, including an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) and
a weak heart muscle (cardiomyopathy). Granulomas that form in your
liver can affect its ability to function.
Sarcoidosis
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