Isolated cardiac sarcoidosis masquerading as right ventricular outflow tract ventricular tachycardia

BMJ Case Rep. 2017 Jun 30:2017:bcr2017220604. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2017-220604.

Abstract

A 67-year-old man with coronary artery disease (CAD) and left anterior descending artery (LAD) stent presented with symptomatic monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) at a rate of 190 bpm requiring cardioversion. ECG showed left bundle branch block pattern and inferior axis, suggestive of a right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) focus rather than left ventricular scar due to LAD territory myocardial infarction (MI). Echocardiography showed normal wall motion. Angiography revealed a patent mid-LAD stent. Cardiac MRI with delayed postcontrast sequence revealed several regions of hyperenhancement abnormality within the basal portion of the interventricular septum. Increased metabolic activity on positron emission tomography confirmed active inflammatory sarcoidosis.Although VTs in patients with prior CAD are likely to be related to either scar or ischaemia, alternative diagnoses (eg, infiltrative disorders, RVOT-VT, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy) should be considered in patients with an apparent right ventricular focus on ECG.

Keywords: arrhythmias; pacing and electrophysiology; radiology.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / diagnosis
  • Bundle-Branch Block / diagnosis
  • Bundle-Branch Block / etiology
  • Cardiomyopathies / complications
  • Cardiomyopathies / diagnosis*
  • Cardiomyopathies / physiopathology
  • Catheter Ablation
  • Coronary Artery Disease / complications*
  • Coronary Vessels / pathology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Echocardiography
  • Electrocardiography
  • Heart Septum / pathology*
  • Heart Ventricles / pathology
  • Heart Ventricles / physiopathology*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Male
  • Myocardial Infarction / diagnosis
  • Sarcoidosis / complications
  • Sarcoidosis / diagnosis*
  • Sarcoidosis / pathology
  • Sarcoidosis / physiopathology
  • Stents
  • Tachycardia, Ventricular / diagnosis*
  • Tachycardia, Ventricular / etiology