Myocardial dysfunction in chagasic patients with no apparent heart disease.
BACKGROUND
The Tei index simultaneously evaluates the ventricular systolic and diastolic functions. It has a good correlation with hemodynamic data and has enabled the detection of initial ventricular function alterations of different etiologies.


OBJECTIVE
To study initial biventricular function alterations in chagasic patients with no apparent heart disease, using the Tei index.


METHODS
Forty eight individuals were evaluated. Group 1 was comprised of 25 patients diagnosed with Chagas' disease with no apparent heart disease and normal echocardiogram; group 2 was comprised of 23 healthy individuals with negative serological tests for Chagas' disease.


RESULTS
The Tei index was significantly higher in the group of chagasic patients with no apparent heart disease when compared to that of the control group: left ventricular Tei index (0.48 +/-0.11 vs. 0.36 +/- 0.06, p < 0.001) , right ventricular Tei index (0.34 +/- 0.10 vs. 0.26 +/- 0.07, p = 0.001). The left and right ventricular Tei indexes were considered abnormal in 48% and 28% of the chagasic patients, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Chagasic patients with no apparent heart disease present early alterations of the right and left ventricles.
Pinto
Airandes de Sousa
Ade S
Departamento de Clínica Médica, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Oliveira
Braulio Muzzi Ribeiro de
BM
Botoni
Fernando Antonio
FA
Ribeiro
Antonio Luiz Pinho
AL
Rocha
Manoel Otavio da Costa
MO
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology