Pulmonary sarcoidosis can cause loss of lung volume and increased lung stiffness.
Pulmonary sarcoidosis is found mainly in adults between the ages of 20 and 40, more often in females than in males, with occurrence in African Americans more than eight times that among whites. It is also more common in whites of northern European descent than in other whites. Although sarcoidosis is not a common cause of death, the mortality rate among African Americans is more than 13 times that of whites. The cause for sarcoidosis remains a mystery. Theories suggest that an exaggerated defense reaction against some event or substance perceived as a threat by the immune system may trigger the condition and that there may be contributing genetic factors.