Understanding Sarcoidosis

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Sarcoidosis is certainly not a condition that we talk about very often but it is one of the more common conditions that few people have heard of.

Sarcoid involves inflammation that produces tiny lumps of cells in various organs in your body. The lumps are called granulomas because they look like grains of sugar or sand. They're very small and they can be seen only with a microscope.

These tiny granulomas can grow and lump together making many large and small groups of lumps. If many granulomas form in an organ, they can affect how the organ works and it can cause symptoms of sarcoidosis.

It usually starts in one of two places; the lungs or the lymph nodes, especially the lymph nodes that are in your chest cavity.

There are treatments for sarcoidosis but the chronic condition can be a challenge that requires lots of patience and the help of medical specialists to aid in treatment.