title: Advances in radionuclide imaging of cardiac sarcoidosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Radionuclide imaging for the diagnosis and monitoring of cardiac involvement in sarcoidosis has advanced significantly in recent years.
  
  
  METHODS
  This article is based on published clinical guidelines, literature review and our collective clinical experience.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gallium-67 scintigraphy is among the diagnostic criteria for cardiac involvement in systemic sarcoidosis, and it is strongly associated with response to treatment. However, fluorine-18, 2-fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is now preferred both for diagnosis and for assessing prognosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most data are from small observational studies that are potentially biased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quantitative imaging to assess changes in disease activity in response to treatment may lead to FDG-PET having an important routine role in managing cardiac sarcoidosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Larger prospective studies are required, particularly to assess the effectiveness of radionuclide imaging in improving clinical management and outcome.
authors: Interstitial Lung Disease Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Kouranos
authors: Interstitial Lung Disease Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK.
authors: A U
authors: AU
authors: Wells
authors: Department of Cardiology, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Sharma
authors: National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK Department of Nuclear Medicine, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital, London SW3 6NP, UK.
authors: S R
authors: SR
authors: Underwood
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital, London SW3 6NP, UK k.wechalekar@rbht.nhs.uk.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Wechalekar
mesh_terms: D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D055414:Myocardial Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D011379:Prognosis; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
keywords: FDG-PET; SPECT; cardiac sarcoidosis; radionuclide imaging