title: Successfully treated complete atrioventricular block with corticosteroid in a patient with cardiac sarcoidosis: usefulness of gallium-67 and thallium-201 scintigraphy.
abstract: A 71-year-old male with sarcoidosis was followed for 6 years without steroid therapy. He was admitted because of complete atrioventricular block. Chest X-ray showed hilar lymphadenopathy. Echocardiogram showed mild left ventricular hypertrophy without local wall thinning. Cardiac sarcoidosis was diagnosed by a defect of Thallium-201 (Tl-201) imaging and abnormal uptake of Gallium-67 (Ga-67). After the start of corticosteroid therapy, complete atrioventricular block was recovered. Abnormal uptake of Ga-67 was improved. Tl-201 and Ga-67 are useful to diagnose cardiac sarcoidosis, to evaluate the lesion of cardiac involvement and to estimate the efficacy of corticosteroid therapy.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Yamanashi Medical University.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Umetani
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sawanobori
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kohno
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ijiri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Komori
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006327:Heart Block / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015635:Radionuclide Ventriculography / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes
chemical_list: D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D011239:Prednisolone