Stroke in cardiac sarcoidosis: Need to worry?

OBJECTIVES: The occurrence of stroke in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is an under-recognized entity. The objective of this study is to evaluate the clinical presentation, risk factors, etiology, temporal relationship and management of stroke in patients with CS. METHODS: The data of 111 patients with CS from the Granulomatous Myocarditis Registry was analyzed. Clinical data regarding the clinical presentation, risk factors for vascular disease, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram and (18) Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET-CT were extracted from the registry database. RESULTS: Among the 111 patients with CS, 8 patients (7.2%) had a history of ischemic stroke. Six of the eight patients with ischemic stroke were young (<50 years) without conventional risk factors for vascular disease. In five patients, stroke occurred prior to the diagnosis of CS. In all except one patient the ischemic stroke occurred in the anterior cerebral circulation. LV dysfunction was noted in all patients at the time of stroke, with the presence of an LV apical clot in four of the eight patients. Atrial fibrillation was documented in 2 patients. Two patients received thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy, while the others were treated with standard antiplatelets and statins. There was a significant improvement in the LV Ejection fraction (33.6 ± 15.2 to 49.1 ± 13.8%, p = 0.043) following immunosuppression. Two patients developed refractory HF and respiratory sepsis, respectively, and succumbed following prolonged ICU admissions. CONCLUSIONS: Ischemic stroke in patients with CS can be attributed to a cardioembolic phenomenon. A high index of clinical suspicion is needed for early diagnosis and management of these patients.