Sarcoidosis
Clinical Course of the Disease
In general, sarcoidosis appears briefly and heals naturally in 60 to
70 percent of the cases, often without the patient knowing or doing
anything about it. From 20 to 30 percent of sarcoidosis patients are
left with some permanent lung damage. In 10 to 15 percent of the
patients, sarcoidosis can become chronic.
However, most in patients (even these with chronic damage) remain
asymptomatic or with minimal symptoms. When either the granulomas or
fibrosis seriously affect the function of a vital organ the lungs,
heart, nervous system, liver, or kidneys, for example sarcoidosis
can be fatal. This occurs 5 to 10 percent of the time. No one can
predict how sarcoidosis will progress in an individual patient. But
the symptoms the patient experiences, the doctor's findings, and the
patient's race can give some clues.
For example, a sudden onset of general symptoms such as weight loss
or feeling poorly usually means that the course of sarcoidosis will
be relatively short and mild. Dyspnea often indicates that
sarcoidosis will be more chronic.
Caucasian (white) patients are more likely to develop a milder form
of the disease, while African-American (black) patients tend to
develop a more chronic severe form.
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