Cardiac sarcoidosis evaluated by multimodality imaging

Abstract

An asymptomatic 62-year-old female patient with sarcoidosis was referred to our hospital for new-onset right bundle-branch block by electrocardiogram (ECG). She had been diagnosed with sarcoidosis by lymph node biopsy 3 years previously, and followed up by chest X-ray and ECG from then onward. Chest X-ray on admission showed bilateral lymph node enlargement, which was unchanged. Transthoracic echocardiogram showed wall thinning and severe hypokinesis in the basal portion of the left ventricular (LV) posterior–inferior wall, and coronary heart disease was excluded by conventional coronary angiogram. ECG-gated enhanced 320 slice multislice computed tomography revealed contrast defects in the basal portion of the LV posterior–inferior wall with reduced wall thickness in the early phase, which were conversely abnormally enhanced in the late phase, suggesting fibrosis or edema with inflammation. Late gadolinium enhancement in contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was observed in the same region. To evaluate for evidence of inflammation, we performed 67-gallium-citrate scintigraphy, T2-weighted MRI, and fasting 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET). Although the 67-Ga scintigram showed no significant uptake, T2-weighted MRI revealed high intensity images, and fasting 18F-FDG PET identified increased uptake of FDG in the basal portion of the LV posterior–inferior wall, suggesting inflammation. We started corticosteroid therapy, diagnosing her condition as active cardiac sarcoidosis.