Improvement of cardiac sympathetic nerve function in sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis. 2008 Dec;25(2):140-2.

Abstract

Some patients with sarcoidosis can have cardiac involvement. Impairment of the cardiac sympathetic nerve activity is seen in about 50% of the sarcoidosis patients with small fiber neuropathy. In this case we present a sarcoidosis patient with small fiber neuropathy and cardiac symptoms with a cardiac sympathetic dysfunction, assessed with I-123 MIBG SPECT. After 5 months of treatment with carvedilol, which has besides adrenergic receptor blocking effects also antioxidant action, we saw a clear improvement of the cardiac sympathetic function demonstrated on a repeated I-123 MIBG SPECT. Future studies should explore the clinical relevance of the relation of oxidative stress, antioxidant therapy and cardiac dysfunction in sarcoidosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / therapeutic use*
  • Carbazoles / therapeutic use*
  • Carvedilol
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Heart / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart / innervation*
  • Heart / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Propanolamines / therapeutic use*
  • Sarcoidosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Sarcoidosis / drug therapy*
  • Sarcoidosis / physiopathology
  • Sympathetic Nervous System / drug effects
  • Sympathetic Nervous System / physiopathology*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Substances

  • Adrenergic beta-Antagonists
  • Carbazoles
  • Propanolamines
  • Carvedilol