Patient's question:
Recently, I've been experiencing chest pain and tightness in my chest. The hospital examination suggested a respiratory disease, but the medication hasn't been very effective. Recently, my cough has worsened. What is sarcoidosis?Doctor's answer:
Sarcoidosis primarily manifests as granulomatous changes; it is a systemic disease that mainly affects the lungs, hence it is often referred to as pulmonary sarcoidosis. It is not contagious, and the cause of sarcoidosis remains unclear. Most patients are between the ages of 20 and 40. It mainly affects the pulmonary parenchyma and can also involve multiple organs such as lymph nodes, skin, joints, liver, kidneys, and heart. Sudden death may occur due to complete atrioventricular block and/or congestive heart failure.