Right heart impairment in sarcoidosis: haemodynamic and echocardiographic study

62 patients with histologically confirmed sarcoidosis (7 with Stage 0, 9 with Stage I, 20 with Stage II, 26 with Stage III) underwent right heart haemodynamics (Swan Ganz) and M-mode echocardiography. Haemodynamic study showed mild to moderate pulmonary hypertension in many patients with Stage II and III sarcoidosis, and 5 patients with Stage 0 healed sarcoidosis, showed borderline values of right sided pressures. Echocardiographic study showed increased right ventricular index (RVI) and right ventricular anterior wall thickness (RVAWT) in most patients. The good correlations between echocardiographic and haemodynamic data suggest that echocardiography may be a useful technique for the non-invasive assessment of the effects of pulmonary hypertension on the right heart in sarcoidosis.