Sarcoidois presenting with pericardial effusion.

Cardiac involvement has been reported at autopsy in 20% of patients with sarcoidosis. Involvement of the pericardium with sarcoidosis is rare, with a reported rate of 3% or less at autopsy. We report a case of sarcoidosis with a pericardial effusion which responded dramatically to 30 mgs of prednisone a day with resolution of the effusion, weight gain, and normalization of his temperature curve. The diagnosis of sarcoidosis was established by the typical pathologic changes in biopsies of lymph nodes, liver and bone marrow. All other causes of granulomatous disease and pleural effusion were absent. Pericardial involvement is a rare complication of sarcoidosis and steroid therapy may be effective in treatment.