PET imaging in cardiovascular inflammation: Cardiac sarcoidosis

Abstract

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease of which the etiology remains unknown. Cardiac death is the leading cause of mortality in patients with sarcoidosis, yet cardiac involvement often remains undetected. A proper clinical management should be started as early as possible in order to avoid complications such as conduction disturbance, systolic dysfunction, and even sudden cardiac death. Cardiac fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography now plays a role in diagnosis, risk stratification, and assessing response to immunosuppressive therapy. Therefore, the present chapter aims to provide a summary of the state-of-the art of PET imaging in the management of patients with suspected or known cardiac sarcoidosis.