Can you have Sarcoidosis and have a negative ANA test?

I really don’t know I’m sorry.. but a second (third, fourth) opinion must be on the cards… I really hope you get it sorted though… I’m a medical anomaly… and It’s a pain in the neck…so I hope it gets sorted for you…I’m sorry I can’t be of any help xx

Let’s see.

I’m going to give you an insight concerning your issue, yet you must keep in mind that it’s imposible to diagnose via the Internet.

1) What is ANA?
ANA stands for “antinuclear antibodies”. ANA, as opposed to the naturally found antibodies, are unusual antibodies, that bind to certain structures within the nucleus of the cells. They appear in patients’ whose immune system may be predisposed to cause inflammation against their own body tissues, that means that the appearance of ANA’s is an indication for the MD to consider an autoimmune illness.

Please note that the very presence of ANA’s is not a sure sign of autoimmunity, as they may appear in plenty unrelated conditions, such as chronic infections, lung diseases (eg. pulmonary hypertension), even in very old people or people who do not suffer from but have a positive family history of rheumatoid arthritis. On the other hand, a negative ANA test does not rule out the possibility of an autoimmune disease.

2) What is sarcoidosis?
The word derives from the Greek ”σαρκωματώδης” which means “flesh-like” (sarc = flesh, -oid = like, -osis = a process) and the disease may also be called Besnier-Boeck disease. Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous inflammatory disease. It is characterized by the appearance of granulomas (microscopic lumps of a specific form of inflammation) mostly in the lungs or the lymph nodes, but it can affect any organ. As for the cause, it is unknown.

I think that by now it is obvious that a negative ANA test does not exclude the possibility of sarcoidosis. The fact that your chest xRay was negative too, is a sign that possibly you are not dealing with this specific disease, yet it is impossible to rule it out, judging from the symptoms you describe, plus there are details that only your physician has (and can have) at hand.

Bear in mind though, that your symptoms point to a a big category of autoimmune diseases and that the final diagnosis may demand plenty different specialized tests and may take some time. Hang in there.

Thank you very much for your well informed answer. I feel wonderful however I can palpate my lymph nodes and my tear duct is inflamed. I’ve been to literally about 13 doctrs at least. I wish I could just got by how I feel. I hear sarcoidosis is actually one of the curable autoimmune diseases. What doctor should I go to for autoimmune dieases and diseases of the lymphatic system. Everyone has lymph nodes why is it bad that I can feel mine? They aren’t large. I’ve had a lymph node biopsy last year. Can sarcoidosis be diagnosed from a lymph node biopsy? I know this disease can cause blindness and heart problems. I’m a nervous wreck.

I have had a look on some medical databases I use, and it seems rather unlikely.

“The vast majority of patients (>90%) have some form of pulmonary involvement.”
Mason: Murray & Nadel’s Textbook of Respiratory Medicine, 4th ed.

“The diagnosis of sarcoidosis can never be assured: sarcoidosis is a diagnosis of exclusion and this cannot be accomplished with complete confidence. The diagnosis requires clinicoradiographic findings compatible with the diagnosis, histologic confirmation of granulomatous inflammation, exclusion of known causes of granulomatous disease, and evidence of disease in at least two organs. The end result of this diagnostic evaluation for sarcoidosis is neither a definitive diagnosis nor an exclusion of the diagnosis, but rather a statistical likelihood of the disease.”
The Diagnosis of Sarcoidosis; Clinics in Chest Medicine – Volume 29, Issue 3 (September 2008)

I know you have been to 13 doctors, but self diagnosis is unwise. If you are worried about this particular condition, then ask them about it specifically.

Honestly I don’t know what to think anymore. I don’t feel happy anymore and I feel lost. I’m young and have been worried for many years so I feel like my youth was waisted. I wish I were able to find somerhig about stress and gland enlargements. Or it could be harmless but it seems the only options is cancer or an autoimmune disease. I get jealous often of y friends who dot have to worry about this.

I wish I knew of a way to reduce the inflammation in my lacrimal glands. They seem to keep getting larger and cosmetically I’m starting to worry. Not only that but it says on the Internet that blindness can occur.

i have lymph nodes symptoms and getting that test done. however, i just had clear lung x ray.

What test done?