Lung
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Review
Sarcoidosis: impact of other illnesses on the presentation and management of multi-organ disease.
Sarcoidosis remains a fascinating illness that almost always affects the respiratory tract but often involves many other organs as well. Although many patients seem to have only an intrathoracic illness, with perhaps one other site or organ involved, others can experience a severe multi-organ disease. The inciting stimulus, even if unknown, can elicit an immunologic host response-the non-caseating granuloma-in almost every organ. ⋯ But these are common problems, and it is thus necessary to separate these symptoms from those associated with abdominal visceral involvement of sarcoidosis. Although liver and/or splenic involvement with sarcoidosis do not cause organ dysfunction or insufficiency, they can contribute to abdominal symptoms. Finally, it remains of interest whether inflammatory bowel disease-Crohn's disease in particular-is another organ manifestation of sarcoidosis, or is it unrelated?