Sarcoid heart disease

An Update on Myocarditis in Forensic Pathology

In forensic medicine, myocarditis is a complicated topic in the context of sudden death and medical malpractice. A good knowledge of the etiopathology, histopathology, and available literature are both indispensable and essential for the correct management and evaluation of the causal link. Some agents, which are rarely lethal for humans, are not necessarily related to death from myocarditis, even if an infection in other organs such as the gastrointestinal tract is documented. The diagnosis of the causes of death is often difficult and confusing. In some cases, the hypothetical diagnosis of myocarditis as the cause of death is formulated by deduction, causing error and misleading the correct temporal evaluation of pathological events. We reviewed the literature realizing that histomorphological data are scarce and often poorly documented. Only after COVID-19 have the histomorphological aspects of myocarditis been better documented. This is due to poor autopsy practice and poor accuracy in identifying the specific histotype of myocarditis with identification of the responsible agent. We believe that four points are essential for a better understanding and complete diagnosis of the disease: (1) clinical classification of myocarditis; (2) etiological classification of myocarditis; (3) pathophysiology of viral and bacterial infections with host response; and (4) histopathological diagnosis with precise identification of the histotype and pathogen. In the review we provide histological images from authoritative scientific references with the aim of providing useful information and food for thought to readers.

A Rare Case of Extra-Pulmonary Sarcoidosis With Only Initial Presentation of Hypercalcemia

Sarcoidosis is a systemic disorder characterized by the aberrant development of granulomatous inflammation within various organs in the body. In over 90% of cases, sarcoidosis typically manifests initially in the intra-thoracic region, characterized by pulmonary involvement or mediastinal lymphadenopathy. It is rare for sarcoidosis to manifest exclusively as extra-thoracic involvement and even more rarely for hypercalcemia to be the only initial sign. We present a case of a 70-year-old female with hypercalcemia and elevated 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2 D) which raised the suspicion of a granulomatous disease. Granulomatous diseases increase levels of 1,25(OH)2 D via the abnormal expression of 1 alpha-hydroxylase enzyme; therefore, these conditions should be considered in the differential diagnosis when encountered with hypercalcemia. PET-CT showed increased FDG uptake in the reticuloendothelial system. An easily accessible inguinal lymph node biopsy was performed which revealed non-necrotizing granulomatous inflammation. Other causes of non-necrotizing granulomatous diseases, cancer, and lymphoma were ruled out, leading to sarcoidosis being considered as a possible diagnosis. When diagnosing sarcoidosis, other potential causes of granulomatous inflammation need to be ruled out definitively via laboratory findings, imaging, and tissue histopathology before initiation of treatment with steroids. Treatment with glucocorticoids remains the mainstay therapy of 1,25(OH)2 D-mediated hypercalcemia associated with sarcoidosis. The patient was accordingly treated with prednisone which led to the normalization of calcium and 1,25(OH)2 D levels within three weeks. Here, we discuss the clinical features and investigations of extra-pulmonary sarcoidosis for early diagnosis and management.

A Case of Burnt-Out Cardiac Sarcoidosis Presenting With Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia

Cardiac sarcoidosis is a challenging clinical entity in terms of diagnosis and management. Cardiac involvement is the most common cause of death in patients with sarcoidosis. Recently, there have been new advancements in the imaging modalities that aid in the diagnosis of this condition, including cardiac MRI and PET scan. These tools can help identify and determine the extent of the progression of sarcoidosis, which can have diagnostic and therapeutic implications. In this report, we present the case of a 74-year-old man with no history of sarcoidosis who presented with sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) and was subsequently found to have findings consistent with burnt-out sarcoidosis on imaging. This case highlights the differences in the management of various stages of cardiac sarcoid involvement to reduce adverse outcomes.

Machine learning predicting mortality in sarcoidosis patients admitted for acute heart failure

Background

Sarcoidosis with cardiac involvement, although rare, has a worse prognosis than sarcoidosis involving other organ systems.

Objective

We used a large dataset to train machine learning models to predict in-hospital mortality among sarcoidosis patients admitted with heart failure (HF).

Method

Utilizing the National Inpatient Sample, we identified 4659 patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of HF. In this cohort, we identified patients with a secondary diagnosis of sarcoidosis using International Statistical Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes. Patients were separated into a training group and a testing group in a 7:3 ratio. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression was used to select variables to prevent model overfitting or underfitting. For machine learning models, logistic regression, random forest, and XGBoosting were applied in the training group. Parameters in each of the models were tuned using the GridSearchCV function. After training, all models were further validated in the testing group. Models were then evaluated using the area under curve (AUC) score, sensitivity, and specificity.

Results

A total of 2.3% of sarcoidosis patients died in HF admission. Our machine learning model analysis found the RF model to have the highest AUC score and sensitivity. Feature analysis found that comorbid arrhythmias and fluid electrolyte disorders were the strongest factors in predicting in-hospital mortality.

Conclusion

Machine learning methods can be useful in identifying predictors of in-hospital mortality in a given dataset.

Clinical Features, Histopathology and Differential Diagnosis of Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a chameleon disease of unknown etiology, characterized by the growth of non-necrotizing and non-caseating granulomas and manifesting with clinical pictures that vary on the basis of the organs that are mainly affected. Lungs and intrathoracic lymph nodes are the sites that are most often involved, but virtually no organ is spared from this disease. Histopathology is distinctive but not pathognomonic, since the findings can be found also in other granulomatous disorders. The knowledge of these findings is important because it could be helpful to differentiate sarcoidosis from the other granulomatous-related diseases. This review aims at illustrating the main clinical and histopathological findings that could help clinicians in their routine clinical practice.

Dissecting the target leukocyte subpopulations of clinically relevant inflammation radiopharmaceuticals

BACKGROUND

Leukocyte subtypes bear distinct pro-inflammatory, reparative, and regulatory functions. Imaging inflammation provides information on disease prognosis and may guide therapy, but the cellular basis of the signal remains equivocal. We evaluated leukocyte subtype specificity of characterized clinically relevant inflammation-targeted radiotracers.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Leukocyte populations were purified from blood- and THP-1-derived macrophages were polarized into M1-, reparative M2a-, or M2c-macrophages. In vitro uptake assays were conducted using tracers of enhanced glucose or amino acid metabolism and molecular markers of inflammatory cells. Both 18F-deoxyglucose (18F-FDG) and the labeled amino acid 11C-methionine (11C-MET) displayed higher uptake in neutrophils and monocytes compared to other leukocytes (P = 0.005), and markedly higher accumulation in pro-inflammatory M1-macrophages compared to reparative M2a-macrophages (P < 0.001). Molecular tracers 68Ga-DOTATATE targeting the somatostatin receptor type 2 and 68Ga-pentixafor targeting the chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) exhibited broad uptake by leukocyte subpopulations and polarized macrophages with highest uptake in T-cells/natural killer cells and B-cells compared to neutrophils. Mitochondrial translocator protein (TSPO)-targeted 18F-flutriciclamide selectively accumulated in monocytes and pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages (P < 0.001). Uptake by myocytes and fibroblasts tended to be higher for metabolic radiotracers.

CONCLUSIONS

The different in vitro cellular uptake profiles may allow isolation of distinct phases of the inflammatory pathway with specific inflammation-targeted radiotracers. The pathogenetic cell population in specific inflammatory diseases should be considered in the selection of an appropriate imaging agent.

Exercise-induced torsades de pointes as an unusual presentation of cardiac sarcoidosis: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Sarcoidosis is a rare multisystem disease characterized histologically by non-caseating granuloma formation in the affected organ. While cardiac sarcoidosis is found on autopsy in up to 25% of sarcoidosis cases, it is still underdiagnosed and is associated with a poor prognosis. Although the etiology of sarcoidosis remains unclear, an antigen triggered exaggerated immune response has been hypothesized. Early detection and prompt management of cardiac sarcoidosis remains pivotal.

CASE SUMMARY

A 60-year-old female, with pulmonary sarcoidosis in remission, presented to the cardiology outpatient clinic for evaluation of weeks-long dyspnea on moderate exertion (New York Heart Association class II) that was relieved by rest. Submaximal exercise stress test showed multifocal ventricular extrasystoles, followed by a self-limiting torsades de pointes. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed nondilated and normotrophic left ventricle with basoseptal and mid-septal dyskinesis. The magnetic resonance imaging-derived left ventricular ejection fraction was 45%. Delayed enhancement showed patchy transmural fibrosis of the septum and hyperenhancement of the papillary muscles, all in favor of extensive cardiac involvement of sarcoidosis. A double-chamber implantable cardiac defibrillator was implanted, and methylprednisolone (12 mg/d) and methotrexate (12.5 mg/wk) treatment was initiated. Follow-up and implantable cardiac defibrillator interrogation showed episodes of asymptomatic nonsustained ventricular tachycardia and an asymptomatic episode of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia ending by the first antitachycardia pacing run.

CONCLUSION

Along an extensive review of the literature, this unusual case report highlights the importance of early detection of cardiac involvement of sarcoidosis, in order to avoid potential complications and increase survival.

Diagnostic accuracy of cardiac MRI, FDG-PET, and myocardial biopsy for the diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

CS constitutes a rare but potentially underdiagnosed and fatal disease. Its diagnosis remains difficult owing to the infrequent and indistinguishable symptoms and the lack of formal diagnostic criteria dependent upon the diagnostic techniques used. Early diagnosis and treatment, however, may help to counter its poor prognosis.We aim to characterize and compare the diagnostic accuracy of cardiac MRI, FDG-PET and myocardial biopsy for the diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis and to advance and compare methods for complex diagnostic test accuracy reviews and meta-analysis.

METHODS

Following a systematic review on DTA studies on the aforementioned topic, a four-part approach to meta-analysis will be used: (1) direct comparison of index tests with clinical reference standard, (2) indirect comparison of index tests with clinical reference standard, (3) addition of an alternative test to that indirect comparison (4) and Bayesian meta-analysis using results of part 3 as informative prior for comparisons analogous to part 1 and 2.

DISCUSSION

The most widely recognized diagnostic algorithm for cardiac sarcoidosis is considered out of date, as it precedes the introduction of imaging techniques in diagnostic pathways. These novel imaging techniques, like CMR and FDG-PET scan, have emerged as promising diagnostic tools which may fill the current diagnostic gap. Thus, a systematic review and evaluation of CS diagnosis are much needed. Such an attempt is anticipated to alter the current diagnostic guidelines for CS by shedding more light on the role of sophisticated imaging techniques on prompt CS therapy and follow-up.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO, CRD42019047126.

Cardiac sarcoidosis: Case presentation and Review of the literature

Cardiac sarcoidosis usually occurs in the context of systemic disease; however, isolated cardiac involvement can occur in up to 25% of cases and tends to be clinically silent. When symptoms are present, they are often nonspecific and occasionally fatal, representing a diagnostic challenge. A high index of clinical suspicion and the integration of appropriate imaging, laboratory, and pathologic findings is always required. Treatment aims to control the systemic inflammatory condition while preventing further cardiac damage. However, even with adequate diagnosis and treatment strategies, prognosis remains poor. We describe the case of a patient who presented with cardiac symptoms, whose initial examination was unrevealing. Diagnosis was made retrospectively based on later systemic manifestations that revealed characteristic sarcoidosis findings.

Viewpoints in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac sarcoidosis: Proposed modification of current guidelines

Isolated cardiac sarcoidosis is a generally accepted disease condition, and the low yield of endomyocardial biopsy because of patchy involvement is also well known. However, current guidelines still require histologic confirmation of granuloma for the diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis, either in myocardial or extra-cardiac tissues. Therefore, only a presumptive diagnosis of chronic multifocal myocarditis of unknown origin can be made in a large number of patients in whom the only considerable diagnosis is cardiac sarcoidosis based on current knowledge. Even if these patients are treated with the same treatment scheme as that for cardiac sarcoidosis, which may not cause harm in the absence of a definite diagnosis, the true spectrum of cardiac sarcoidosis could not be determined for deciding the optimal treatment strategy. In addition, the current recommendations for dose, duration of initial steroid therapy, and treatment in patients who did not respond to initial steroid therapy are not easy to follow in real-world practice. We would like to propose a scoring system for the diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis and suggest our adoption or modification of the diverse current recommendations.

Cardiac sarcoidosis: diagnosis and management

Cardiac sarcoidosis is one of the most serious and unpredictable aspects of this disease state. Heart involvement frequently presents with arrhythmias or conduction disease, although myocardial infiltration resulting in congestive heart failure may also occur. The prognosis in cardiac sarcoidosis is highly variable, which relates to the heterogeneous nature of heart involvement and marked differences between racial groups. Electrocardiography and echocardiography often provide the first clue to the diagnosis, but advanced imaging studies using positron emission tomography and MRI, in combination with nuclear isotope perfusion scanning are now essential to the diagnosis and management of this condition. The identification of clinically occult cardiac sarcoidosis and the management of isolated and/or asymptomatic heart involvement remain both challenging and contentious. Corticosteroids remain the first treatment choice with the later substitution of immunosuppressive and steroid-sparing therapies. Heart transplantation is an unusual outcome, but when performed, the results are comparable or better than heart transplantation for other disease states. We review the epidemiology, developments in diagnostic techniques and the management of cardiac sarcoidosis.

Ventricular tachycardia - an atypical initial presentation of sarcoidosis: a case report

Introduction

Symptomatic cardiac involvement is seen in less than 5% of all cases of sarcoidosis. Although clinically apparent cardiac sarcoidosis is an uncommon entity, ventricular tachyarrhythmias as the first presenting symptom are very rare.

Case presentation

We discuss the case of a 41-year-old Asian woman who presented to our hospital with intermittent palpitation and on evaluation was diagnosed to have systemic sarcoidosis with cardiac involvement. She was started on multiple antiarrhythmic drugs and corticosteroids without any satisfactory response.

Conclusions

Our case report indicates that sarcoidosis can manifest as ventricular tachycardia without any detectable systemic findings. This makes sarcoidosis an important diagnostic consideration in patients with ventricular tachycardia of unknown origin given the high mortality associated with ventricular tachyarrhythmias.

Prevalence of echocardiographic features suggesting cardiac sarcoidosis in patients with pacemaker or implantable cardiac defibrillator

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Basal septal thinning or localized aneurysmal dilatation without coronary artery disease has been described as a characteristic finding suggestive of cardiac sarcoidosis. We sought to assess the prevalence of this characteristic echocardiographic finding in patients with pacemaker (PM) or implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Echocardiography of patients who received PM or ICD were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with marked thinning and akinesia confined to the basal septum (type 1), or posterolateral wall resulting in localized aneurysmal outward bulging (type 2) without history of myocardial infarction or significant coronary stenosis were included for analysis.

RESULTS

Among 1,357 consecutive patients, 21 exhibited suggestive echocardiographic findings (type 1/2=15/6) with a mean ejection fraction of 37±11%. The prevalence was 1.2% in the PM group and 4.0% in the ICD group. Only 3 patients showed histologically confirmable sarcoidosis in lymph nodes, lung and heart, respectively. Endomyocardial biopsy was attempted in 6 patients, but failed to demonstrate sarcoidosis. The 1-, 2-, 4- and 6-year clinical events (death, cardiac transplantation and hospital admission)-free survival rates were 100%, 85.7±7.6%, 75.0±9.7% and 48.6±12.4%, respectively. During follow-up, two patients with PM underwent ICD implantation, and another underwent heart transplantation.

CONCLUSION

Prevalence of echocardiographic features suggesting prevalence of cardiac sarcoidosis is low in patients who underwent device implantation. However, considering the very low yield of endomyocardial biopsy and the rare extracardiac manifestations in cardiac sarcoidosis, characteristic echocardiographic findings could be an adjunctive diagnostic criterion in these patients.

Cardiac sarcoidosis with a rare initial manifestation: sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease of unknown cause. Life-threatening complications or sudden death can occur when the disease involves the heart. Because cardiac sarcoidosis has diverse clinical presentations, its diagnosis can be a major challenge for clinicians. It is very rare for the initial manifestation of cardiac sarcoidosis to be sustained ventricular tachycardia, especially in a patient with no prior symptoms or history of the disease. Herein, we discuss the case of a 41-year-old black man who presented with nausea, vomiting, and palpitations on the day after he had consumed alcoholic beverages heavily. Electrocardiographic examination revealed sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia. An automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator corrected the patient's abnormal heart rhythm, and therapy with steroids and β-blockers resolved his symptoms. We describe the process that led to the diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis in this patient.

Cardiac sarcoidosis: a pathology-focused review

CONTEXT

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease of unclear etiology. It is not commonly fatal, but when sarcoidosis is fatal, it is most often from cardiac involvement and when sarcoidosis involves the heart, it frequently causes death. The disease presents diagnostic challenges both clinically and histologically.

OBJECTIVES

To review the histology of cardiac sarcoidosis and the histologic differential diagnosis of cardiac granulomatous disease and to review the epidemiology and gross pathology of cardiac sarcoid as well as discuss current controversies, clinical diagnostic criteria, and proposed mechanisms of pathogenesis.

DATA SOURCES

We reviewed the literature searchable on PubMed as well as selected older studies revealed by our review of the recent literature. Photographs were taken from cases on file at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and Columbia University Medical Center (New York, New York).

CONCLUSIONS

Sarcoidosis is a focal or disseminated granulomatous disease that likely represents the final common pathway of various pathogenic insults in a genetically susceptible host. The type of insult may influence the specific sarcoid phenotype. Controversy still abounds, but many areas of investigation around sarcoidosis are yielding exciting discoveries and bringing us closer to a richer understanding of this puzzling disease.

Multi-technique imaging of sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disorder of unknown aetiology. The diagnosis is suggested on the basis of wide ranging clinical and radiological manifestations, and is supported by the histological demonstration of non-caseating granulomas in affected tissues. This review highlights the multisystem radiological features of the disease across a variety of imaging methods including multidetector computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as functional radionuclide techniques, particularly 2-[(18)F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). It is important for the radiologist to be aware of the varied radiological manifestations of sarcoidosis in order to recognize and suggest the diagnosis in the appropriate clinical setting.

Tissue Doppler imaging in cardiac sarcoidosis

A middle-aged African lady, who presented with ventricular tachycardias, mitral valve regurgitation and congestive heart failure, was diagnosed with cardiac sarcoidosis. Tissue Doppler imaging demonstrated abnormalities suggestive of myocardial scar, which was confirmed by contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance.