[Cardiovascular diseases observed during follow-up of a group of patients with undetermined form of Chagas' disease].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the cardiovascular outcome in patients with the undetermined form of Chagas' disease and whether or not it is related to the infectious disease in the long-term.


METHODS
One hundred and sixty patients were prospectively followed-up at three month intervals for up to 177 months.


RESULTS
Twenty and three (14.4%) patients developed hypertension complicated by ischemic stroke in two (1.2%) and symptomatic heart failure in one (0.6%). Cardiac arrhythmias occurred in four (2.4%) patients corresponding to isolated ventricular ectopic beats in two (1.2%), isolated supraventricular ectopic beats in one (0.6%) and an isolated episode of acute atrial fibrillation in another (0.6%). Two (1.2%) patients developed symptoms of coronary artery disease, one of them had one episode of acute chest pain diagnosed as myocardial infarction and the other had chronic chest pain diagnosed as angina.


CONCLUSIONS
Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease occurring in the long-term follow-up of patients with the undetermined form of Chagas' disease. Cardiac rhythm disturbances and coronary artery disease were not more frequent than those generally found in a healthy population. These data confirm a favorable long-term prognosis in patients with the undetermined form of Chagas' disease.
Instituto do Coração do Hospital das Clínicas-FMUSP.
B M
BM
Ianni
C
C
Mady
E
E
Arteaga
F
F
Fernandes
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies
Doenças cardiovasculares observadas durante o seguimento de um grupo de pacientes na forma indeterminada da doença de Chagas.