A careful medical history can provide important clues to the diagnosis of a neck mass.1 The patient's age and the size and duration of the mass are the most significant predictors of neoplasia.1 The patient's age is most important, because the risk of malignancy becomes greater with increasing age.2
Shortness of breath is a common symptom. Some patients have troublesome dry cough and others may have pain in the chest. Tiredness, lethargy, listlessness and joint pains are common. Sarcoidosis may also cause fever and weight loss.
In the chronic form of sarcoidosis, symptoms may appear slowly and subtly, and may persist or recur over a long time span. Initial symptoms of the chronic form of the disorder may include difficulty breathing (dyspnea), dry cough, limited airflow, and other respiratory abnormalities. Symptoms associated with other organ involvement may follow. The exact cause of sarcoidosis is not known.