Authors: Hideki Futamatsu Junichi Suzuki Susumu Adachi Hiroyuki Okada Kenichiro Otomo Takahiro Ohara Yuji Hashimoto Tsunekazu Kakuta Yoshito Iesaka Hiroaki Yamaguchi Harumizu Sakurada Akira Sato Tohru Obayashi Akihiro Niwa Kenzo Hirao Mitsuaki Isobe
Publish Date: 2006/03/14
Volume: 22, Issue: 3-4, Pages: 443-448
Abstract
The outcome of cardiac sarcoidosis is sometimes very poor Ventricular tachycardia VT associated with cardiac sarcoidosis is the most common cause of sudden death among most patients However there is no established method for potential VT in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis Thus we investigated the utility of evaluation of gallium67 scintigraphy for potential VT in patients with cardiac sarcoidosisCardiac sarcoidosis was diagnosed in 25 patients at ours or collaborating hospitals during the period 1982 through 2004 Twentyone of these patients were treated with corticosteroid and these patients were divided into two groups depending on whether VT was present a nonVT group n=7 and a VT group n=14 Laboratory and gallium67 scintigraphy findings were examined in both groups During the followup period initial and maintenance dosages of corticosteroid did not differ significantly between the groups Accumulation of gallium67 in the heart at the time of diagnosis was detected more frequently in the VT group than in the nonVT group 143 vs 714 p005 Six of the seven VT patients who underwent followup examination showed improvement on the scintigram obtained after treatment Five of the six showed no VT recurrence in terms of Holter electrocardiogram electrophysiologic study or delivery of implantable cardioverter defibrillator shock Serum angiotensinconverting enzyme and lysozyme concentrations were within normal limits in most patients in both groups
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