The following list of commonly referenced medical terms relating to sarcoidosis is drawn from FSR Brochures and federal Web sites including the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health and the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. For more information on NHLBI resources, visit the Links section of this site.

A dictionary of medical terms is also available through the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health MEDLINEplus site. Visit the Links section of this site for more information.

Active stage—Of sarcoidosis, when the disease is producing new granulomas; this may pose a risk for scar formation in the future; see also nonactive stage.

Acute—Of sarcoidosis, when it occurs once and goes away; acute forms of the disease include swollen lymph nodes and erythema nodosum.

Adenopathy—Swollen lymph nodes.  Hilar adenopathy refers to swelling of the lymph glands at the root of the lung.

Alveoli—Tiny sac-like air spaces in the lung where carbon dioxide and oxygen are exchanged.

Anemia—Condition in which there are too few red blood cells.

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)—A chemical involved in immunological activities which can be detected by blood test.  Many people with sarcoidosis overproduce ACE.  However overproduction is associated with other medical problems too, so an ACE test cannot confirm a diagnosis of sarcoidosis.

Arthritis—inflammation of the joints.  Sarcoidosis can cause a granulomatous form of arthritis

Aspergilloma—A clump of fungus that forms in healed lung scars and enlarged airways. It can cause bleeding in the lungs.

Bronchiectasis—A lung problem which makes the airways in your lungs unable to clear out mucus. The mucus then builds up, creating an environment where bacteria will grow. Over time, the airways become inflamed, stretched out, and scarred, making it harder for the lungs to move air through them.

Cardiac—Refers to the heart.  Sarcoidosis can affect any part of the heart, ranging from the heart's electrical signaling system to the heart muscle and valves and the layers of tissue that cover the heart. For more information on cardiac sarcoidosis order a free copy of FSR publication Sarcoidosis & the Heart.

CT scan—Computed tomographic (CT) scan; x ray that gives a better picture of the lungs than the ordinary chest x ray; sometimes also called CAT scan, for computed axial tomographic scan.

Chronic—Of long duration or frequent recurrence.

Co-morbid—Having two or more medical disorders, or illnesses, at the same time.  Research suggests that many sarcoidosis patients have a comorbid (or second) medical disorder, examples include hypertension, diabetes, anemia and depression.

Conjunctiva—Delicate membrane that lines the inside of the eyelid and covers the surface of the white part of the eye.

Cutaneous—Refers to the skin.  Roughly one quarter of people with sarcoidosis will develop skin problems related to the disease.  See also erythema nodosum and lupus pernio.

Defibrillator—Also called an implantable defibrillator; this device is implanted near your heart and it uses electrical impulses to shock the heart back into a regular rhythm if it starts to beat irregularly.  If your heart stops altogether, the defibrillator can shock it into beating again.  For more information on cardiac sarcoidosis order a free copy of FSR publication Sarcoidosis & the Heart.

Erythema nodosum—Red, raised and tender bumps which form on the skin, usually on the front of your legs.  In sarcoidosis, nearby joints are often swollen and painful.

Facial palsy—drooping or paralysis on one side of your face.   The most common nervous system symptom of sarcoidosis.

Fiberoptic bronchoscope—A long, narrow, flexible tube with a light at the end that is used by the doctor for direct observation of the airways, as well as for biopsy of tissue and collection of cells and other materials from the lungs.

Fibrosis—Formation of scar tissue.  A 'Stage 4' Chest X-ray result shows scar tissue in the lungs.

Folic acid—A vitamin important for health and the prevention of birth defects.   Taking folic acid supplements or eating more folic acid in your diet can alleviate some of the side effects of methotrexate, a treatment for sarcoidosis.

Gene—The unit of heredity; a segment of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid, molecule carrying information for all functions of cells).

Genetic disease—A disease passed from parent to child.

Glaucoma—A disease in which the normal fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises, leading to vision loss or blindness.

Granuloma—Small clump of inflamed tissue.  The classic feature of sarcoidosis is the formation of granulomas, microscopic clumps of inflammatory cells that group together.  When too many of these clumps form in an organ, they can interfere with how that organ functions.

Granulomatous—Adjective for granuloma; has traits of granulomas.

Human leukocyte antigen—genetic marker that plays an important role in activating the body’s immune system.

Hypercalciuria—Too much calcium in the urine.  Some sarcoidosis patients with sarcoidosis may have increased vitamin D in their blood placing them at risk for elevated calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia) or increased calcium in the urine (hypercalciuria).  If you have sarcoidosis, you should talk to your doctor before taking a supplement that contains calcium or vitamin D, and ask about a blood test for calcium levels.

Hypoxemia—low levels of oxygen in the blood.  The symptoms of hypoxemia can range from difficulty breathing, headaches and fatigue to memory loss and mental confusion.  Sarcoidosis patients with hypoxemia may need to use extra, or supplemental, oxygen to continue normal bodily function. Supplemental oxygen is a medical treatment that requires a prescription.

Immune system—A system of glands, tissues, and cells that helps the body fight off infection and tumors.

Interstitial lung disease—(also called pulmonary fibrosis), which occurs when inflammation causes scar tissue to form on the lungs, leading to reduced oxygen levels in the blood and shortness of breath.

Keratoconjuctivitis—dry eye syndrome, in sarcoidosis, occurs when the tear ducts are blocked by inflammation.

Lavage—To wash out a body organ.

Local therapy—A therapy that is applied only to the area affected by the disease.

Lofgren's Syndrome—a form of acute sarcoidosis that occurs for a short period with specific symptoms and which affects specific areas of the body. Inflammation usually includes the skin of the legs (erythema nodosum), the joints and the lymph glands in the chest and occurs along with a fever.

Lupus pernio—An uncommon skin condition that causes hard, reddish-purplish bumps to form on your cheeks, nose, lips and/or ears. This condition is usually associated with chronic sarcoidosis. In some cases, the sores are disfiguring and can damage underlying cartilage and bone.

Lymph nodes—Small, bean-shaped glands or organs of the immune system that are distributed through-out the body.

MR scan—Magnetic resonance scan; also called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR); it uses powerful magnets and radio waves to make computer-generated images of the heart, brain, and other organs.

Multiorgan disease—A condition that affects more than one organ.

Musculoskeletal—Refers to muscles, joints, and bones.

Nonactive stage—When sarcoidosis is not progressing and poses less risk of further scar formation or the granulomas have already changed to scars; see also active stage.

Ocular—refers to the eye.

Osteoporosis—A disease marked by severe thinning of the bones.  Women and men of any age can develop osteoporosis especially if they have a certain disease or take certain medications to treat their disease.  For more information order a free copy of FSR publication on Inflammatory Diseases and Bone Loss.

Pacemaker— A small, battery-operated device that is placed under your skin to regulate your heart's rhythm.  For more information on cardiac sarcoidosis order a free copy of FSR publication Sarcoidosis & the Heart.

Palpitations—Irregular heartbeats.  For more information on cardiac sarcoidosis order a free copy of FSR publication Sarcoidosis & the Heart.

Parotid glands—Salivary glands that occur below and in front of the ear.  Sarcoidosis causes enlargement of the salivary glands in some people.  (See also sialadenitis)

Prognosis—Probable outcome of a disease.

Pulmonary—refers to the lung.  The lungs are the most commonly affected organ in sarcoidosis.

Pulmonary Hypertension—High blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs caused by scar tissue that narrows or blocks them. The hypertension makes the heart work harder to pump blood through the vessels, which can weaken the heart muscle and hinder its ability to deliver oxygen to the lungs.  (Also called pulmonary arterial hypertension.)

Sarcoidosis—An inflammatory disease that can affect almost any organ in the body.  It causes heightened immunity which means that a person's immune system, which normally protects the body from infection and disease, overreacts, resulting in damage to the body's own tissues.

Saline—Salt water. Saline is injected into the lungs during a bronchoalveolar lavage.

Sialadenitis—Inflammation of the salivary glands.  Sarcoidosis causes enlargement of the parotid, or  salivary glands, in some people.

Sinusitis—Inflammation of the sinus cavities.  In sarcoidosis, symptoms can include runny nose, stuffiness and sinus pain or headache.

Sleep Apnea—a condition characterized by episodes of stopped breathing during sleep, some recent studies have also shown that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common in sarcoidosis.

Spirometer—Device that measure show much and how fast a person can blow air out of the lungs after taking a deep breath.

Splenomegaly—Spleen enlargement.  In sarcoidosis, splenomegaly occurs when inflammation and the formation of granulomas cause the spleen to swell.  The spleen is a large organ on the left side of the body under the ribs that produces and filters red blood cells and some types of white blood cells.

Systemic therapy—Affects the body as a whole.

Uveitis—Inflammation of the middle membrane, or uvea, of the eye, the most common eye problem affecting sarcoidosis patients.

White blood cells—Type of cell in the blood that is used by the immune system to fight off infection.