The usefulness of speckle tracking echocardiography for the prediction of cardiac involvement in patients with biopsy-proven sarcoidosis

IntroductionCardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is commonly diagnosed based on clinical criteria and abnormalities in noninvasive imaging reported in patients with biopsy-proven extracardiac sarcoidosis. Electrocardiogram and two-dimensional echocardiography have a low sensitivity for CS detection. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and positron emission tomography (PET) have limitations in terms of cost and availability.ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess the usefulness of left ventricular longitudinal strain, measured using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (STE), for the prediction of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) presence in CMR in patients with biopsy-proven sarcoidosis.Patients and MethodsA total of 119 patients with biopsy-proven extracardiac sarcoidosis were divided, according to the clinical criteria proposed by the 2014 Heart Rhythm Society expert consensus statement (HRS 2014), into two groups: 43 individuals with "probable cardiac sarcoidosis", CS(+) and 76 individuals without cardiac sarcoidosis, CS (-). Data from echocardiography, CMR, 12-lead ECG and 24 h Holter monitoring were analyzed.ResultsLeft ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) was slightly reduced in the entire sarcoidosis group (-18.61 +/- 2.96), no difference between the CS (+) and CS (-) subgroups was found (-18.0% +/- 3.2% and -18.9% +/- 2.8%, respectively; p = .223). No cut-off value for LV-GLS was identified that could predict the presence of LGE. Segmental longitudinal strain impairment partially correlated with the presence of LGE on CMR.ConclusionsIn our cohort of sarcoidosis patients, segmental longitudinal strain proved more helpful in the diagnostic process than LV-GLS. The ultimate role of STE in the diagnosis of CS remains to be established. The challenge of diagnosing cardiac sarcoidosis. image