Right ventricular involvement is an important prognostic factor and risk stratification tool in suspected cardiac sarcoidosis: analysis by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

Background Late gadolinium enhancement imaging (LGE) of the left ventricle (LV) by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has prognostic value for patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). Right ventricle (RV) dysfunction is also associated with adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure. Therefore, we sought to determine if RV LGE and dysfunction predicted adverse events in patients with suspected CS. Methods In 103 consecutive patients with suspected CS who underwent CMR, functional and remodeling indexes of both the LV and RV were measured and the extent and localization of LGE were also analyzed. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were defined as cardiovascular mortality, severe ventricular tachyarrhythmia, hospitalization with heart failure, and advanced atrioventricular block. Results During a median follow-up of 20.6 months, Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that decreased RV ejection fraction (EF) was associated with MACE ( P