Sarcoidosis and the Heart

Abstract

The treatment of sarcoid cardiomyopathy can be considered in part the treatment of the systemic disorder, and in part cardiac involvement, the manifestations of which may differ greatly. Therapy for the systemic disease is corticosteroid. Therapy for cardiac involvement includes prednisone, but because treatment must ameliorate or abolish many differing manifestations, therapy differs among patients. Asymptomatic patients (the majority) who are free from serious manifestations of the disease do not require pharmacologic or interventional treatment. Patients with dilated cardiomyopathy require treatment for congestive heart failure. High-grade atrioventricular conduction delay usually necessitates a permanent electronic pacemaker. Life-threatening arrhythmia usually requires implantation of an automatic implantable cardiac defibrillator (AICD). Antiarrhythmic drugs may also be needed. Cardiac tamponade should be treated by drainage of pericardial fluid. Pericardiectomy is usually the appropriate treatment for patients who develop significant constrictive pericarditis. Calcium channel blockers may be helpful for severe diastolic dysfunction that occurs in those with restrictive cardiomyopathy. Therapy should be given to those few patients who manifest hypertrophic cardiomyopathy to relieve left ventricular outflow obstruction. Cardiac transplantation for intractable heart failure or arrhythmia may be needed.