Emerging and under-recognized Chagas cardiomyopathy in non-endemic countries

• Author(s): Cortez, J ; Providência, R ; Ramos, E ; Valente, C ; Seixas, J ; Meruje, M ; Leitão-Marques, A ; Vieira, A
• Date: 2012
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.4/1449
• Origin: Repositório do Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra
• Subject(s): Doença de Chagas
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

Due to recent population emigration movements, an epidemic of Chagas disease is currently menacing most developed countries. The authors report the case of a 53-year-old Brazilian woman living in Europe for the last 10 years who developed heart failure symptoms, having a previous symptomatic sinus node disease with a pacemaker implant at age of 40 years. The diagnosis was based on serology and myocardial biopsy and the patient was treated with nifurtimox. The authors emphasize the need of a high level of suspicion in patients with suggestive epidemiology and the need of populational screening of specific high risk groups. New treatment options are also discussed.