Pernilla Darlington1, Anders Gabrielsen2, Kerstin Cederlund3, Susanna Kullberg1, Johan Grunewald1, Anders Eklund1, Peder Sörensson4. 1. Respiratory Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. 2. Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. 3. Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Division of Medical Imaging and Technology at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. 4. Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Abstract
AIMS: Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is a potentially life-threatening condition. Early detection of CS is therefore important. The aim of this study was to eludicate the usefulness of different investigations in a subgroup of patients with sarcoidosis regarded as having an increased risk for cardiac involvement. METHODS: 42 sarcoidosis patients, who had an abnormal resting electrocardiogram (ECG) and/or symptoms indicating possible cardiac involvement (i.e. palpitations, pre-syncope or syncope), were included in the study. They were identified in a consecutive manner among patients followed-up at outpatient clinics for respiratory disorders. Holter monitoring, exercise test, transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and analysis of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) in serum were performed. Note, that the role of FDG-PET was not investigated in this study. RESULTS: In the group with a pathologic ECG 11/25 (44%) were ultimately diagnosed with CS (all with pathologic CMR). However, in the group with only symptoms but a normal ECG just 1/17 got the diagnosis CS (p<0.05). This patient had a pathologic Holter monitoring. The risk for CS was increased if serum NT-pro-BNP was elevated (i.e. NT-pro-BNP>125 ng/L), sensitivity 78% (p<0.05), specificity 67%. By adding a pathologic ECG to an elevated NT-pro-BNP increased specificity to 93% and sensitivity remained at 78%. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that CMR should be performed at an early stage in sarcoidosis patients with an abnormal resting ECG. Holter monitoring and elevated levels of NT-pro-BNP may enhance the diagnostic accuracy whereas exercise testing and TTE in this study had less impact on the identification of CS. Copyright:
AIMS: Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is a potentially life-threatening condition. Early detection of CS is therefore important. The aim of this study was to eludicate the usefulness of different investigations in a subgroup of patients with sarcoidosis regarded as having an increased risk for cardiac involvement. METHODS: 42 sarcoidosis patients, who had an abnormal resting electrocardiogram (ECG) and/or symptoms indicating possible cardiac involvement (i.e. palpitations, pre-syncope or syncope), were included in the study. They were identified in a consecutive manner among patients followed-up at outpatient clinics for respiratory disorders. Holter monitoring, exercise test, transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and analysis of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) in serum were performed. Note, that the role of FDG-PET was not investigated in this study. RESULTS: In the group with a pathologic ECG 11/25 (44%) were ultimately diagnosed with CS (all with pathologic CMR). However, in the group with only symptoms but a normal ECG just 1/17 got the diagnosis CS (p<0.05). This patient had a pathologic Holter monitoring. The risk for CS was increased if serum NT-pro-BNP was elevated (i.e. NT-pro-BNP>125 ng/L), sensitivity 78% (p<0.05), specificity 67%. By adding a pathologic ECG to an elevated NT-pro-BNP increased specificity to 93% and sensitivity remained at 78%. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that CMR should be performed at an early stage in sarcoidosis patients with an abnormal resting ECG. Holter monitoring and elevated levels of NT-pro-BNP may enhance the diagnostic accuracy whereas exercise testing and TTE in this study had less impact on the identification of CS. Copyright:
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