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Rare disease
CASE REPORT
Systemic sarcoidosis presenting as complete heart block in a patient with normal chest radiography
  1. Muhammad Hamza Saad Shaukat1,
  2. Fadi Fahad2,
  3. David Weinreb3 and
  4. Mikhail Torosoff2
  1. 1 Internal Medicine, Albany Medical Center Hospital, Albany, New York, USA
  2. 2 Cardiology, Albany Medical Center Hospital, Albany, New York, USA
  3. 3 Radiology, Albany Medical Center Hospital, Albany, New York, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Muhammad Hamza Saad Shaukat, hamzasaad1991{at}gmail.com

Abstract

A previously healthy 44-year-old Caucasian man presented with recurrent syncope and was found to have a complete heart block with a ventricular rate of 24 bpm. No biochemical abnormalities were identified. Tick borne illnesses were ruled out. Paced echocardiogram revealed left ventricular systolic dysfunction with septal hypokinesis. Chest radiography and subsequent CT scan did not reveal adenopathy. However, a positron emission tomography scan demonstrated increased fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the spleen, a right retro-clavicular lymph node, right ventricle and the interventricular septum of the heart. Excision biopsy of the retro-clavicular lymph node revealed non-caseating granulomas consistent with sarcoidosis. Complete heart block persisted despite steroid treatment. A pacemaker/biventricular implantable cardioverter defibrillator was placed for complete heart block and primary prevention of ventricular tachycardia and sudden cardiac death.

  • arrhythmias
  • radiology (diagnostics)

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2018-227143

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors MHSS performed the literature review and wrote the case. FF was involved in the conception and editing of the write up. DW was involved with interpretation of the PET images. MT was involved in patient care, conception, literature review and editing of the final manuscript.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Patient consent for publication Obtained.