Care for Pulmonary Sarcoidosis

Pulmonary sarcoidosis, also called lung sarcoidosis, causes inflammatory cells in the lungs called granulomas, which can affect lung function. Granulomas usually heal and disappear on their own. But when they don’t heal, the lung tissue can remain inflamed, and become scarred and stiff. This condition, called pulmonary fibrosis, changes the structure of the lungs and can affect your breathing. Bronchiectasis—in which pockets form in the air tubes of the lung and become infected—can also occur, though it is rare.

Patients with lung sarcoidosis usually have shortness of breath, dry cough, chest pain, wheezing, and similar symptoms. Our pulmonologists, part of NYU Langone’s Sarcoidosis Program, evaluate your symptoms and may perform breathing tests, chest X-rays, CT scans, and other tests to confirm the diagnosis. Your pulmonary doctor may also choose to perform a bronchoscopy and biopsy of the lung. This is a way of sampling the lung tissue through a thin tube that is inserted through the mouth. On rare occasions, your doctor may need to perform a surgical lung biopsy to make the diagnosis.

Once the diagnosis is confirmed, your doctor conducts an examination to make sure that sarcoidosis has not affected other parts of your body, such as the heart, skin, or eyes. Based on this evaluation and consultation with other sarcoidosis specialists, your doctor recommends a course of treatment.

Not all patients with sarcoidosis need treatment. For the majority, the inflammation heals on its own. If you do need additional treatment, which may include pills or injections, your doctor will discuss it with you and other providers involved in your care.