Clinical utility of segmental native T1 mapping for diagnosis and risk-stratification in cardiac sarcoidosis

Background

The clinical utility and optimal analytical approach for native T1 mapping in cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) remain unclear. This study investigated the clinical value of segmental native T1 assessment in patients with CS.

Methods

We recruited 55 participants, including 41 patients undergoing diagnostic evaluation of CS and 14 healthy controls. Of the 41 patients, 29 were diagnosed with CS and 12 were classified as non-CS. Segmental cardiac magnetic resonance findings of the left ventricle were evaluated using a 1.5-T scanner. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death, fatal ventricular arrhythmia, bradycardia, or hospitalization for cardiovascular events.

Results

Maximum and global native T1 values were significantly higher in CS patients than in healthy controls and non-CS patients. Maximum and global T1 values demonstrated comparable predictive performance in differentiating CS from the other groups, with areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.92 and 0.90, respectively. The AUC for predicting segments with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was highest for extracellular volume, followed by native T1 and T2 (P < 0.05 for all). Patients with six or more segments showing native T1 ≥ 1091 ms had a significantly worse prognosis than those without (55.6 % vs. 18.2 %, P = 0.028).

Conclusions

Maximum and global native T1 values were highly predictive for differentiating CS. The high segmental native T1 values in patients with CS may reflect the regional presence of LGE. Segmental native T1 assessment can aid in estimating long-term outcomes.