Two cases of cardiac sarcoidosis in pregnant women with supraventricular arrhythmia.
We present two cases of cardiac sarcoidosis whose first presentation was in pregnancy. All findings confirmed the diagnosis of sarcoidosis with cardiac involvement in both patients. The first patient, a 37-year-old, presented with dizziness and atrial fibrillation at 16 weeks' gestation. Echocardiography revealed thickened interventricular septum with a speckled pattern. Cardiac MRI after delivery showed myocardial oedema/inflammation corresponding with the same regions with early enhancement and epicardial delayed enhancement in the basal to mid-inferoseptal and basal anterior left ventricular myocardial segments. Transbronchial biopsy revealed histology of scanty fragments of inflamed bronchial mucosa. The second patient, a 31-year-old, was 17 weeks pregnant when she presented with daily palpitations and shortness of breath. She had prolonged episodes of supraventricular tachycardia. Echocardiography revealed a speckled septal and right ventricular wall pattern. Cardiac MRI after delivery showed basal and mid-ventricular mesocardial and epicardial enhancement, most compatible with sarcoidosis.
Department of Cardiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Ebru
E
Ertekin
Department of Radiology, 2 Military Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
Sulaiman
S
Moosa
Department of Cardiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Jolien W
JW
Roos-Hesselink
Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Africa, MRC Inter Cape Heart Group, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa. karen.sliwa-hahnle@uct.ac.za.
Karen
K
Sliwa
D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D001262:Atenolol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
D001262:Atenolol; D011241:Prednisone