Table 1.
Patient characteristics and clinical presentation
| Methotrexate | Age | Sex | Immunosuppressive therapy | ECG/Holter | ECHO | MRI | Extra-cardiac sarcoidosis site/biopsy | JMHW criteria fulfilled? | Major JMHW criteria | Minor JMHW criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 41 | M | Methotrexate 20 mg/weekly, prednisolone 7.5 mg/daily | SR | ND | No | Pulmonary/med. LN | No | None | None |
| 2 | 54 | M | None | SR, PVC, RBBB | Normal | Yes, anterior late enhancement | Pulmonary/clinical diagnosis | No | None | Non-sustained VT, MRI with anterior late enhancement |
| 3 | 45 | F | None | SR, PVC, RBBB | Anterior, septal and apical hypokinesia | No (pacemaker) | Kidney/kidney biopsy | Yes | Decreased LVEF | Left ventricular hypokinesia, VT, perfusion defects on scintigraphy |
| 4 | 46 | F | None | SR, PVC | Basal, lateral aneurism | No (pacemaker) | Pulmonary/bronchial biopsy | Yes | Decreased LVEF | Inferoseptal aneurism, perfusion defect on 82Rb PET, VT |
| 5 | 37 | M | None | 3rd degree AV-block, ventricular escape rhythm | Normal LVEF, borderline right ventricular hypertrophy | Yes, septal late enhancement, thickening of the right ventricle | Pulmonary/clinical diagnosis | Yes | 3rd degree AV-block | MRI with delayed enhancement in the septum + thickening of the right ventricle |
| 6 | 59 | M | None | SR, inferior Q-wave | Normal | Yes, no significant findings | Pulmonary/clinical diagnosis | No | None | PVC, RBBB |
| 7 | 65 | M | None | SR, RBBB, PVC | Normal | No (claustrophobia) | Pulmonary/med. LN | No | None | PVC, RBBB |
| 8 | 36 | F | None | SR, PVC | Normal | No | Pulmonary/splenic biopsy | No | None | PVC |
| 9 | 59 | M | None | SR, 1st degree AV-block, ST-depression | Dilated atrial cavities | Yes, basal and posterior late enhancement | None (sarcoidosis diagnosis withdrawn) | No (sarcoidosis diagnosis withdrawn) | Decreased LVEF | Left ventricular hypokinesia, MRI with late enhancement |
| 10 | 60 | F | None | SR | Discrete aortal insufficiency | No (pacemaker) | Skin/dermal biopsy | No | 3rd degree AV-block | VT |
| 11 | 64 | M | Prednisolone 5 mg/daily | SR | Global hypokinesia | Yes, no significant findings | Pulmonary/cervical LN | No | Decreased LVEF | PVC |
| 12 | 51 | F | None | Pacemaker rhythm | Normal | No (pacemaker) | None (sarcoidosis diagnosis withdrawn) | No | 3rd degree AV-block | |
| 13 | 33 | M | None | SR, ST-depressions in V5-V6 | Global hypokinesia | Yes, dilated ventricles, no late enhancement | None (sarcoidosis diagnosis withdrawn) | No | Advanced 2nd degree AV-block, depressed LVEF | VT |
| 14 | 58 | M | Methotrexate 10 mg/weekly | SR | Normal | Yes, normal | Pulmonary/med. LN | No | ||
| 15 | 67 | M | Prednisolone 5 mg/daily | Atrial flutter | Discrete hypertrophia, normal LVEF | No | Multiorgan/dermal biopsy | No | ||
| 16 | 46 | F | Methotrexate 5 mg/weekly | SR | Normal | No | Pulmonary/med. LN | No | ||
| 17 | 39 | M | None | SR | Normal | Yes, normal | Pulmonary/clinical diagnosis | No | ||
| 18 | 64 | M | None | SR, LBBB | Discrete hypokinesia | No (nephropathy) | Pulmonary/skin | No | Decreased LVEF | Discrete hypokinesia of the septum |
| 19 | 66 | M | None | SR | Normal | No | Pulmonary/bronchial biopsy | No |
Abbreviations: DE-MR delayed enhancement magnetic resonance, ECG electrocardiogram, ECHO echocardiography, EF ejection fraction, FEV1 forced expiratory volume, HR-CT high-resolution computed tomography, JMHW Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare, LV left ventricle, LBBB left bundle branch block, med. LN mediastinal lymph node, PVC premature ventricular contractions, RBBB right bundle branch block, SR sinus rhytm, VT ventricular tachycardia