Sudden failure of ventricular pacing and recovery in a patient with cardiac sarcoidosis

Publication date: Available online 26 July 2017 Source:Journal of Arrhythmia Author(s): Yosuke Terui, Akihiro Nakamura, Hideaki Endo, Takahide Kadosaka, Takashi Nakata, Tasuku Watanabe, Kenjiro Sato, Masanori Kanazawa, Masateru Kondo, Tohru Takahashi, Eiji Nozaki A 76-year-old woman with sarcoidosis who had an implantable pacemaker for complete atrioventricular block was admitted with syncope. Electrocardiogram revealed ventricular pacing failure, and a marked rise in the ventricular pacing threshold. 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) indicated increased uptake of FDG in the ventricular septum. Three days after steroid therapy, the ventricular pacing threshold reverted to normal, and FDG-PET showed decreased FDG uptake in the ventricular septum. In this case report, we demonstrate that a sudden deterioration in the ventricular pacing threshold due to worsening cardiac sarcoidosis can be reversed with early steroid therapy.
Source: Journal of Arrhythmia - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research