The assassin: Chagas cardiomyopathy

Chagas Heart Disease: An Update

Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, results from infection by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, and is a major cause of cardiac disease worldwide. Until recently, Chagas disease was confined to those areas of South and Central America where Trypanosoma cruzi is endemic. With the migration of infected individuals, however, the disease has spread, and it is estimated that 6-7 million people worldwide are infected. In the US alone, more than 7 million people from Trypanosoma cruzi-endemic countries became legal US residents by the turn of the century, resulting in a surge of Chagas disease in this country. According to preliminary estimates, the US now ranks seventh in the Western Hemisphere in number of individuals infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, and the disease has become a major public health concern due to limited awareness in the medical community.

Left ventricular apical aneurysm in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy-A case report

A 56-year-old female, who immigrated to the USA from Honduras, presented with worsening shortness of breath, orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, and decreased exercise tolerance over the previous 2 months. She was diagnosed 1 year previously with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and non-sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator was placed. Cause for her dilated cardiomyopathy was unknown at that time. On admission, her electrocardiogram showed low voltage complexes, with frequent premature ventricular contractions. Transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiogram (2D ECHO) showed severely reduced ejection fraction of 20%, severe mitral regurgitation with left ventricular (LV) hypokinesis, and inferolateral and inferior wall akinesis. On review of her records, a contrast 2D ECHO from the previous year revealed an aneurysm of the LV apical region. Live three-dimensional (3D) ECHO on her present admission showed persistent LV apical aneurysm. Computed tomography angiogram showed no atherosclerotic lesions. Multiple episodes of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia were recorded on telemetry. Based on these findings, the diagnosis of Chagas cardiomyopathy was entertained. Serological tests for Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies were done and returned positive. We report a case of chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy that was initially missed but ultimately diagnosed based on the finding of LV apical aneurysm. <Learning objective: Chagas cardiomyopathy is becoming increasingly prevalent in non-endemic countries. One hallmark finding associated with Chagas cardiomyopathy is left ventricle apical aneurysm. We were able to identify this finding with transthoracic contrast 2D ECHO and live 3D ECHO.>.