Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiac Sarcoidosis

Abstract

Myocardial involvement of sarcoidosis occurs more frequently in Japan than in the United States and European countries, and is responsible for the major part of deaths from sarcoidosis. But, antemortem diagnosis of cardiac involvement remains difficult due to its subtle and latent characteristic. Cardiac involvement is not often revealed until autopsy or extraction at heart transplant. The reason why the diagnosis of cardiac involvement is difficult is that the clinical manifestations are various and not specific, and the diagnostic rate with endomyocardial biopsy is low. There are few diagnostic tools specific for cardiac sarcoidosis. But, in recent years newer imaging techniques, cardiac MRI and PET, are evolving for determining cardiac involvement. This review describes the current status of the diagnosis and treatment of this condition.