April is the month of sarcoidosis , a systemic granulomatous disease. Any organ can be affected, but the lungs are most commonly affected . Respiratory failure is the most common cause of death .

Depending on the geographical context , 1 to 15 cases per 100,000 inhabitants are diagnosed every year, with very high values in the Scandinavian countries. The average age at diagnosis is 50 years, with an earlier diagnosis among males (20-45 years) than females (50-65 years).

It is hypothesized that genetic factors (five times higher increase in disease risk for siblings of sufferers) and environmental factors (exposure to wood stoves, substances present in the soil, pollen, inorganic particulates, insecticides, nanoparticles, gardening materials, construction materials , metalworking, silica) can favor the onset of the disease . Infectious episodes could also trigger the inflammatory process underlying the disease.

Sarcoidosis benefits were recognized as an essential level of care in 2017, but regional implementation was variable despite national legislation.

In Sardinia there is a lack of reference clinical centers . Filippo Martone, president of the patients' association "Friends against Sarcoidosis Italy" underlines the need for a structured care path that supports the many patients present at a regional level and whose incidence appears to be higher than in other regional areas.

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