stages of sarcoidosis

[Guest guest]

Below is what I found on the stages, but it only talks about staging pulmonary sarcoidosis, I have never been told I am a stage anything, so wonder if they even stage it when it's outside of the lungs??  \

but found this interesting anyway.

WHAT ARE THE STAGES OF SARCOIDOSIS?

There are three classically described " stages "

of sarcoidosis based on the chest x­ray: I, II, and III.

In Stage I the lymph nodes of the lungs near the

center of the chest (the hilar areas) become enlarged, sometimes

to the size of potatoes. The lungs themselves don't show any disease

on the chest x­ray. Stage I patients usually have no symptoms

and require no treatment (Figure 1a).

In Stage II there are enlarged lymph nodes, and in

addition an abnormal pattern in the lung fields (Figure 1b). Stage

II patients usually show some decrease in pulmonary function,

as well as symptoms (cough or dyspnea); they may require treatment.

Stage III shows the lung infiltrates without evidence

of enlarged lymph nodes in the hilar areas (Figure 1c). It is

possible these patients once had the hilar " potato nodes, "

and that progression of their disease lead to lung involvement

with disappearance of the nodes. For most patients who present

with Stage III, however, this progression cannot be demonstrated.