This refers to the enlargement of the hilar structures or a mass in the chest, which is where the hilum area is located. However, the perceived fullness may just be caused by an x-ray.
- Any hilar fullness refers to shadows that present itself in the chest. Real causes, not artificially caused by x-ray, are results of pneumonia, lung cancer, and congestive heart failure. The diagnosis is similar to that of sarcoidosis.
- Sarcoidosis occurs when there is an abnormal collection of inflammatory cells which create nodules in various organs. Although the cause of sarcoidosis is unknown, they typically appear in the lymphs or lymph nodes although it can also go to any organ in the body. The condition may be chronic or asymptomatic, which means that no symptoms are presented.
- Symptoms of sarcoidosis include fatigue, weight changes, dry eyes, arthritis, swelling in the knees, shortness of breath, blurry vision, skin lesions, or a dry cough. However, these symptoms are vague and can also represent a wide number of other diseases, so it's always best to get a professional diagnosis if you notice these changes. In fact, sarcoidosis and cancer often have similar symptoms, making diagnosis even trickier.
- A percentage of sarcoidosis cases are often involve with cardiac disorders. Symptoms of cardiac sarcoidosis may be asymptomatic conduction abnormalities but can also cause sudden death. Eye sarcoidosis can be manifested through various eye disorders such as retinal inflammation, uveoparotitis, and anterior uveitis. These may result in partial or complete blindness. Less than 1% of sarcoidosis cases are involved with the nervous system, which occurs when basal meninges affect the cranial nerves. Sarcoidosis may also occur in the scalp, characterized by patchy hair loss or diffused hair.