Evaluation of Known or Suspected Cardiac Sarcoidosis

Abstract

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disorder of unknown cause, and cardiac sarcoidosis affects at least 25% of patients and accounts for substantial mortality and morbidity from this disease. Cardiac sarcoidosis may present with heart failure, left ventricular systolic dysfunction, AV block, atrial or ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Cardiac involvement can be challenging to detect and diagnose because of the focal nature of the disease, as well as the fact that clinical criteria have limited diagnostic accuracy. Nevertheless, the diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis can be enhanced by integrating both clinical and imaging findings. This article reviews the various roles that different imaging modalities provide in the evaluation and management of patients with known or suspected cardiac sarcoidosis.

Keywords: cardiomyopathies; echocardiography; magnetic resonance angiography; positron-emission tomography; sarcoidosis.