Observational Study to Evaluate Diagnostic Methods for Cardiac Sarcoidosis and Their Impact on Treatment Outcomes

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the accuracy of current diagnostic criteria for cardiac sarcoidosis, a rare inflammatory condition that affects the heart and can lead to serious complications like arrhythmias and heart failure. The study aims to understand how well clinical, ECG, laboratory, imaging, and biopsy criteria predict disease activity and patient outcomes. Participants suspected of having cardiac sarcoidosis will undergo a thorough diagnostic work-up including symptom evaluation, family history, ECG, chest X-ray, blood tests, PET scans, cardiac MRI, and heart biopsies. Based on guideline recommendations, patients will be classified into three groups proven cardiac sarcoidosis, probable cardiac sarcoidosis, and unlikely cardiac sarcoidosis. Those with proven or probable disease will receive immunosuppressive treatment mainly with glucocorticoids, and their progress will be monitored at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. During follow-up, researchers will assess symptoms, fatigue, heart rhythm monitoring, lab results, and imaging findings using questionnaires and tests like Holter-ECG and PETCMR scans. The study will compare clinical and imaging improvements between groups and evaluate the predictive value of diagnostic criteria. This will help develop a diagnostic and predictive score to guide future patient care and therapy decisions.

Diagnostic Criteria in Cardiac Sarcoidosis