Cardiac sarcoidosis: diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms]

Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic granulomatous disorder which affects the respiratory system in the majority of the cases. Cardiac manifestations are found in up to 10 % of the affected cohort and show a large heterogeneity based on the ethnic background. Cardiac sarcoidosis are not only found in patients with rhythmogenic heart disease such as atrial and ventricular fibrillation but also in all phenotypes of cardiomyopathies. The overall morbidity and mortality caused by cardiac sarcoidois in Germany is unclear and no large prospective international studies are published on this topic. This consensus paper on diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms in cardiac sarcoidosis is based on a current literature search and forms a expert opinion statement under the hospices of the "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Pneumologie" and "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kardiologie". It is the rationale of this statement to offer algorithms to facilitate clinical decision-making based on the individual case.