Sarcoidosis is a disease that leads to inflammation of major organs of the body. This chronic inflammation can cause a number of symptoms and some of these symptoms can be quite severe.
Under normal circumstances, the body will react to an injury or an illness by producing specialized blood cells to help fight off the effects of the injury or illness. During this time, inflammation will occur, but it will quickly go away once the injury or illness is resolved.
When a person has Sarcoidosis the inflammation does not go away. In fact, the immune system cells will clump together and form lumps called granulomas, in various organs of your body.
Sarcoidosis is a cyclic disease. This disease has active stages and remission stages like other autoimmune diseases. A person may go for years without any complications from Sarcoidosis. But the problem comes when Sarcoidosis produces severe symptoms in the major organs of the body. This disease has been known to affect the lungs, liver, heart and brain.
Brain Sarcoidosis can be very dangerous if the symptoms become severe. In rare cases, coma has been the result of brain Sarcoidosis. A few of the symptoms of this disease are headaches, visual problems and weakness or numbness of the arms and legs. These symptoms can interfere with daily life and become debilitating if left untreated.
The treatment for brain Sarcoidosis is steroids. The route of administration of these steroids depends on the severity of the symptoms. Some patients may need intravenous steroid injections due to more severe symptoms while others may be able to take steroids in the pill form.
If for some reason, the patient cannot take steroids or if the disease does not respond to steroid treatment other medications may be used, such as Methotrexate or cytoxin. These medications are known as cell killers and are used to treat cancer. However, in small doses they can be used safely as an immune suppressive.
If Sarcoidosis is affecting the brain it can easily progress to affect the nervous system also. This can be manifested by a facial droop on one side of the face. Sometimes this facial droop may be mistaken for a stroke.
In severe cases, Sarcoidosis can affect the spinal cord. This will cause weakness and sometime paralysis of the arms and legs. Some patients will be unable to walk and may be confined to a wheelchair.
Sarcoidosis is a rare disease and therefore, needs more research to find a cure. However, as technology progresses a cure may be on the horizon. If you have been diagnosed with this disease it is important that you follow your doctors advice and take good care of yourself.
RESOURCE
University of Maryland Medical Center: Sarcoidosis
American Lung Association: Understanding Sarcoidosis
PostGraduate Medical Journal: Sarcoidosis of the Brain and Spinal Cord