What type of doctor manages sarcoidosis?

Pulmonologist: is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of lung disorders and breathing problems. This is the doctor often seen by sarcoidosis patients because sarcoidosis affects the lungs in over 90% of patients. Pulmonologists can also treat asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis and tuberculosis.

How is ocular sarcoidosis treated?

There is currently no cure for ocular sarcoidosis, but there are therapies to manage inflammation and ease symptoms. Mild anterior uveitis may be treated with eye drops containing corticosteroids, such as prednisone or Durezol (difluprednate), to reduce inflammation.

How is ocular sarcoidosis diagnosed?

Sarcoidosis should be particularly high on differential diagnoses in those with involvement of multiple ocular tissues. The gold standard for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis is a tissue biopsy. The most common biopsy samples are retrieved from the lungs, lymph nodes, skin, conjunctivae, lacrimal glands or orbital tissues.

How does vitamin D affect sarcoidosis?

Vitamin D dysregulation is common in sarcoidosis patients. This is a result of the increase in an enzyme that converts the inactive form of vitamin D into the active form. Doctors often misread vitamin D levels in sarcoidosis patients which can lead to hypercalciumia or hypercalciuria.

Does coffee affect sarcoidosis?

In conclusion, the present study suggests that caffeine consumption might not affect the evolution of sarcoidosis and indicate that individuals who will develop sarcoidosis seem to consume greater amounts of caffeine that healthy controls.

What are symptoms of ocular sarcoidosis?

Symptoms from uveitis include blurred vision, photophobia, floaters, redness, scotomata, and pain. Periocular lesions may produce dry eye symptoms, as well as disfiguring lid, periocular, and adnexal lesions. Orbital involvement by a mass lesion may cause proptosis and diplopia.

Does sarcoidosis affect your eyes?

Eyes. Inflammation can affect almost any part of your eye and may cause damage to the retina, which can eventually cause blindness. Rarely, sarcoidosis also can cause cataracts and glaucoma.

Does sarcoidosis shorten life span?

Subclinical sarcoidosis does not seem to affect life span. Autopsy in 25 patients showed systemic sarcoid lesions in all, including asymptomatic patients and those presenting with clinical manifestations limited to the CNS and the heart.

Why should people with sarcoidosis not take vitamin D?

Sarcoidosis is considered a contraindication for high-dose vitamin D supplements. However, because supplementary vitamin D is generally considered harmless, it is possible that sarcoidosis patients are receiving inappropriate amounts of vitamin D supplements. In these cases, vitamin D may lead to hypercalcemia.

Is there a cure for ocular sarcoidosis?

Clinically isolated uveitis revealing sarcoidosis remains a strictly ocular condition in a large majority of cases. Although it can be a serious condition involving functional prognosis, early recognition in addition to a growing therapeutic arsenal (including intravitreal implant) has improved the visual prognosis of the disease in recent years.

When to see a doctor for sarcoidosis of the eyes?

It is vital for patients who have been diagnosed with sarcoidosis to undergo comprehensive eye examinations every year, and to report any vision changes to their doctors to begin treatment as soon as possible. The most commonly-reported eye complications of sarcoidosis include: Eye pain.

When was ocular sarcoidosis first described by Jonathan Hutchinson?

Ocular Sarcoidosis. by Panagiota Stavrou, F.R.C.S. Sarcoidosis Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease which was first described by Jonathan Hutchinson in 1878. Its clinical manifestations and course can be variable in different ethnic groups. The organs affected more often are the lungs, skin and eyes.

What kind of ocular involvement does sarcoidosis have?

Autosomal, dominantly inherited Blau syndrome (familial granulomatous inflammatory arthritis, uveitis and rash, and camptodactylia) is characterised by multiorgan inflammation and may strongly resemble sarcoidosis; however, the typical pulmonary involvement is absent. 39-41