Left ventricular apical aneurysm due to unrecognized sarcoidosis

J Echocardiogr. 2010 Dec;8(4):129-30. doi: 10.1007/s12574-010-0046-9. Epub 2010 Jun 4.

Abstract

A 47-year-old woman was hospitalized for syncope. An electrocardiogram showed complete right bundle branch block and T-wave inversion in leads III, aVF, and V2-4. Cardiac catheterization was performed since the echocardiogram demonstrated the existence of a left ventricular apical aneurysm and apical thrombus. Coronary angiography revealed normal coronary arteries. An endomyocardial biopsied specimen from the right ventricular apical wall demonstrated typical noncaseating granulomas with giant cells. There was no evidence suggesting the involvement of other systemic organs. The patient was diagnosed as having cardiac sarcoidosis. Cardiac sarcoidosis should be considered within a spectrum of diseases that cause left ventricular apical aneurysm.

Keywords: Cardiac sarcoidosis; Left ventricular aneurysm; Left ventricular apical thrombus; Nonsustained ventricular tachycardia.