Pathogenicity of Chagas Disease Cardiopathy

Chagas disease is a protozoonoses caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. After chronification, human infection may present with several clinical manifestations, ranging from asymptomatic disease to severe cardiomyopathy. Currently, it is estimated that about 7 million people are infected, of which approximately 30% develop heart disease. Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in Chagas patients. CCC presents with particular characteristics, such as extensive fibrosis, thromboembolism, arrhythmogenicity, destruction of the intrinsic cardiac nervous system, microvascular alterations, and sudden death. Here we present an overview of cardiomyopathy in Chagas disease.