Transesophageal echocardiographic abnormalities in a case of cardiac sarcoidosis.
Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease that may involve multiple organ systems, including the heart. Manifestations include atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, conduction abnormalities, congestive cardiac failure, pericarditis, and sudden death. Whereas cardiac involvement is a relatively common finding at autopsy, antemortem diagnosis is often missed because the clinical manifestations are nonspecific, and the sensitivity and specificity of investigations are low. We report a case of a 62-year-old woman who had clinically significant cardiac sarcoidosis associated with echocardiographic abnormalities that had not been reported previously in association with this condition.
Hourigan
L A
LA
Department of Cardiology, The Prince Charles Hospital, Rode Road, Chermside, Brisbane, Australia. burstowd@health.qld.gov.au
Burstow
D J
DJ
Pohlner
P
P
Clarke
B E
BE
Donnelly
J E
JE
D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology