ABSTRACT
Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS), a rare complication of systemic sarcoidosis, can have subtle or no symptoms. It is characterized by granuloma formation in the myocardium, which can occur in isolation or alongside systemic sarcoidosis. Clinical manifestations include conduction system disorders (e.g., atrioventricular block and ventricular tachyarrhythmia), heart failure, and sudden cardiac death. Timely evaluation and screening for CS are crucial, especially in systemic sarcoidosis patients with limited symptoms. We present the case of a 50-year-old African-American male diagnosed with cardiac sarcoidosis following a recent diagnosis of pulmonary sarcoidosis after experiencing tachycardia for two years, as confirmed by imaging studies.
ABSTRACT
Background and objective The CHA2DS2-VASc score is a stroke risk stratification tool that is used in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Most of its clinical variables have been associated with poor outcomes in patients with infective endocarditis (IE). In this study, we aimed to determine its utility in predicting outcomes in IE patients. Methods We included 35,570 patients with IE from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), 2009-2012. The CHA2DS2-VASc score was calculated for each patient. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio for in-hospital mortality for CHA2DS2-VASc scores from 1 to 9, using a score of 0 as the reference score. All clinical characteristics were defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes. Results The mean age of the sample was 57.81 ±14 years. Higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores were associated with increased mortality, and the scores among the sample ranged from 0 for 8.1% to 8 for 21.7%. In the hierarchical logistic regression, after adjusting for age, sex, and relevant comorbidities, as the score increased, so did the odds for overall mortality. Conclusion In patients with IE, the CHA2DS2-VASc score may serve as a risk assessment tool with which to predict outcomes. Further studies are needed to replicate these findings.
