[Cardiac damage in sarcoidosis: clinical features and impact of steroid therapy].

Twenty-seven sarcoidosis patients with signs of cardiac damage were examined to study the clinical features of cardiac sarcoidosis and the impact of systemic glucocorticosteroid (GCS) therapy on its course. ECG and echoECG changes were observed in 21 (78%) and 17 (63%) patients, respectively; abnormal perfusion was seen in 25 (93%) patients at single-photon emission myocardial computed tomography using 99mTc-MIBI. Three clusters (clinical types) of patients were identified, which differed in the pattern and degree of cardiac disorders. The use of systemic GCSs in 13 of 20 patients resulted in myocardial perfusion recovery and clinical improvement, the degree and duration of which depended on what cluster it belonged to. Seven GCS-untreated patients had progressive perfusion disorders with subsequent or synchronous clinical deterioration (p < 0.05). The degree and duration of the positive effect of a GCS differed depending on the clinical type of cardiac damage.