An update on the management of Chagas cardiomyopathy.
Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, infects nearly 18 million people in Latin America and mainly affects the heart, causing heart failure, arrhythmias, heart block, thromboembolism, stroke and death. In this review, the clinical diagnosis and management of Chagas cardiomyopathy are discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on the clinical staging of patients and the use of various diagnostic tests that may be useful in individualizing treatment of the two most relevant clinical syndromes, that is, heart failure and arrhythmias. The relevance of specific treatments are discussed, stressing the important role of parasite persistence in disease pathogenesis. We also discuss new therapy modalities that may have a role in the treatment of Chagas cardiomyopathy.
Internal Medicine Department and Coordinator, Postgraduate Course of Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. rochamoc@medicina.ufmg.br
Manoel O C
MO
Rocha
Mauro M
MM
Teixeira
Antonio L
AL
Ribeiro
D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000628:therapy; D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans
D000925:Anticoagulants