**5.5 Prognosis**

The pattern of onset in orofacial sarcoidosis in patients determines the course and prognosis of the disease and also therapeutic effects after treatment [44],

**7**

*Introductory Chapter: Orofacial Sarcoidosis and Noncaseating Granulomatosis*

although affected patients may have a variety of nonspecific symptoms or may be asymptomatic. Oral involvement has been considered as the initial feature of the disease [45]. Although orofacial features in this disease are rare, a wide range of presentations indicates development of systemic involvement in present or future, so it must be considered. This disorder usually appears in the second and third decades of life [46] with no known racial predilection. In addition, it should be taken into consideration that women are more susceptible than men in this disease [47]. Moreover, death from sarcoidosis is a rare phenomenon except in special circumstances such as terminal fibrosis in the lungs, heart, or CNS [48]. Many patients with sarcoidosis (two-thirds) generally have a remission within a decade

*Asteroid bodies and multinucleated giant cells in sarcoidosis (High-power view).*

OFG is a rare disorder with unknown etiology. As mentioned, there are a variety of causative agents for OFG; but according to the accumulating data, there is no conclusive scientific evidence for the role of genetic susceptibility to the disease in the literature; so in this context, further studies are necessary [49]. Because of histopathological and clinical overlap in oral lesions of granulomatous diseases such as Crohn's disease, sarcoidosis, CG, foreign body granulomas, tuberculosis, etc. [50, 51], there is a controversial question between clinicians and pathologists that whether the formation of granulomas in the oral lesions is a distinct disease or just a feature of a systemic disease. OFG patients should be monitored for all of the symptoms in order to strengthen the possibility of OFG by exclusion of additional

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disorder that may affect any organ system such as the lungs, lymph nodes, skin, eyes, liver, heart, and nervous, musculoskeletal, renal, and endocrine systems [52]. The lungs are the site of involvement and

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83364*

after diagnosis, with or without consequences.

**6. Discussion**

**Figure 4.**

symptoms [28].

**6.1 Organ involvement**

*Introductory Chapter: Orofacial Sarcoidosis and Noncaseating Granulomatosis DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83364*

**Figure 4.** *Asteroid bodies and multinucleated giant cells in sarcoidosis (High-power view).*

although affected patients may have a variety of nonspecific symptoms or may be asymptomatic. Oral involvement has been considered as the initial feature of the disease [45]. Although orofacial features in this disease are rare, a wide range of presentations indicates development of systemic involvement in present or future, so it must be considered. This disorder usually appears in the second and third decades of life [46] with no known racial predilection. In addition, it should be taken into consideration that women are more susceptible than men in this disease [47]. Moreover, death from sarcoidosis is a rare phenomenon except in special circumstances such as terminal fibrosis in the lungs, heart, or CNS [48]. Many patients with sarcoidosis (two-thirds) generally have a remission within a decade after diagnosis, with or without consequences.
