Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42788155›Full record

ArticleWorld journal of nuclear medicine2026

Joe Rizkallah, Omar El Sardouk, Safaa Al Zakleet, Nina Saliba, Marwan Refaat, Habib Dakik, Diana Paez, Thomas N B Pascual, Enrique Estrada-Lobato, Francesco Giammarile and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in World journal of nuclear medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Joe RizkallahDepartment of Diagnostic Radiology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.ORCID 0000-0001-9053-5866
Omar El SardoukDepartment of Diagnostic Radiology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Safaa Al ZakleetDepartment of Diagnostic Radiology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Nina SalibaDepartment of Diagnostic Radiology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Marwan RefaatDivision of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Habib DakikDivision of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Diana PaezNuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Imaging Section, Division of Human Health, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria.
Thomas N B PascualPhilippine Nuclear Research Institute, Quezon City, Philippines.
Enrique Estrada-LobatoNuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Imaging Section, Division of Human Health, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria.
Francesco GiammarileNuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Imaging Section, Division of Human Health, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria.ORCID 0000-0002-0550-7893
Alain S Abi-GhanemDepartment of Diagnostic Radiology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Mohamad HaidarDepartment of Diagnostic Radiology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.ORCID 0000-0001-6431-3274

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objectives: Cardiac sarcoidosis can lead to arrhythmias, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is crucial for diagnosis and monitoring, yet data from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remain scarce. This study evaluated the role of PET/CT in diagnosing and managing cardiac sarcoidosis at a tertiary referral center in the Middle East. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 19 patients with biopsy-proven sarcoidosis who underwent fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT for suspected cardiac involvement at a tertiary referral medical center in Lebanon between 2014 and 2024. Complementary imaging with echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and electrocardiography was also analyzed alongside treatment approaches and follow-up outcomes. Results: FDG PET/CT identified cardiac involvement in 12 patients, with diffuse or focal FDG uptake patterns correlating with symptom severity and electrocardiographic abnormalities. These patients exhibited higher rates of arrhythmias, conduction abnormalities, and reduced global longitudinal strain and E/A ratio on echocardiography. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated late gadolinium enhancement in most cases with FDG PET/CT-confirmed cardiac sarcoidosis, supporting the presence of myocardial inflammation. Treatment included corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents, and device implantation in selected cases. Follow-up FDG PET/CT showed significant reductions in FDG uptake, indicating therapeutic response. Conclusion: This study underscores the clinical utility of FDG PET/CT in diagnosing and managing cardiac sarcoidosis, particularly in resource-limited settings like the MENA region. FDG PET/CT enabled early detection, guided treatment decisions, and facilitated monitoring of therapeutic response. These findings highlight the need for broader access to FDG PET/CT imaging in the region to optimize patient outcomes.

Indexed as

cardiac sarcoidosisMiddle Eastmultimodal imagingnuclear medicinepositron emission tomography

Identifiers

PMID42788155
PMCPMC13612113

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.