CARDIAC SARCOIDOSIS - AN OCCULT CAUSE OF SUDDEN-DEATH - A CASE-REPORTAND LITERATURE-REVIEW

Sarcoidosis is a multi-systemic granulomatous disease of unknown cause . It commonly involves lymph nodes, lungs, eyes, and skin. Cardiac sar coid may be isolated, or associated with systemic involvement. Cardiac involvement is found in 20-50% of autopsied patients with sarcoidosis . However, it only gives rise to clinical manifestations in about 5% o f patients. Cardiac involvement by sarcoid has been reported to manife st as complete heart block, papillary muscle dysfunction, congestive h eart failure, pericarditis and/or effusion, conduction abnormality or arrhythmia, chest pain, and sudden death. The most common site of invo lvement is the interventricular septum base, which when involved may l ead to heart block or arrhythmia. We report a case of sudden death in a 33-year-old male with a history of surgically repaired congenital he art disease. Although his congenital heart disease was originally post ulated to be important in his death, autopsy examination revealed card iac sarcoid with prominent involvement of the conduction system.