title: Cardiac Sarcoidosis: Is it More Common in Men?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease which predominantly affects the lungs, although granulomas can also involve all other organs, including the heart. Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) may occur at any stage of the disease and may be the cause of sudden cardiac death, even in a previously asymptomatic patient. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of CS in a large group of patients diagnosed or followed up due to sarcoidosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective analysis of patients at our institution discharged with the final diagnosis "sarcoidosis" (ICD-10: D86) from January 2008 to October 2012. Only those with biopsy (from respiratory tract or lymph nodes) confirmed diagnosis of sarcoidosis were included. We then selected the subset of patients with cardiac involvement due to sarcoidosis confirmed by positive magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study covered 1375 consecutive sarcoidosis patients (51 % men), who were hospitalized during 5 years. Multiorgan disease was detected in 160 cases (11.7 %), and cardiac involvement was found in 64 patients (4.7 % of all), 70.3 % of whom were men. Twelve of those with CS were in stage I, 48 in stage II, and four in stage III. The odds ratio for having cardiac involvement in men compared to women was 2.3 (95 % CI 1.36-4.0, p = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cardiac involvement in sarcoidosis was diagnosed in the similar percentage as in previously published data but was significantly more frequently in men.
authors.affiliation: 3rd Lung Diseases Department, National Research Institute of TB & Lung Diseases, Plocka 26, 01-138, Warsaw, Poland. m.martusewicz@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Magdalena M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Martusewicz-Boros
authors.affiliation: Lung Pathophysiology Department, National Research Institute of TB & Lung Diseases, Plocka 26, 01-138, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Boros
authors.affiliation: 3rd Lung Diseases Department, National Research Institute of TB & Lung Diseases, Plocka 26, 01-138, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wiatr
authors.affiliation: 1st Lung Diseases Department, National Research Institute of TB & Lung Diseases, Plocka 26, 01-138, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kempisty
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Clinical Radiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Chalubinskiego 5, 02-004, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Piotrowska-Kownacka
authors.affiliation: 3rd Lung Diseases Department, National Research Institute of TB & Lung Diseases, Plocka 26, 01-138, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Kazimierz
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roszkowski-Śliż
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Cardiac sarcoidosis; Epidemiology; Heart involvement in systemic diseases; Sarcoidosis; Sex distribution