Cardiac sarcoidosis.

A cardiac localization is one of the most severe manifestations of sarcoido sis and may cause sudden death (ventricular tachycardia or atrial ventricul ar block III) or restrictive cardiomyopathy, Lesions are most frequently ob served in the interventricular septum and the free left wall, Granulomatous infiltation can provoke nonspecific clinical, electric and echocardiograph ic signs, which, associated with regressive dipyridamol uptake on tomoscint igraphy, are suggestive of cardiac sarcoidosis, The diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis is based on the presence of systemic s arcoidosis, histological evidence of granuloma and the lack of another caus e of cardiomyopathy, Corticosteroid therapy is indicated, associated with s pecific cardiologic treatments.