Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9880
ISSN: 2155-9880
Andres Diaz Garzon
Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Clin Exp Cardiolog
Reactivation processes of Chagas Disease (CD) have been poorly investigated. Eighty-two CD seropositive patients (64.6% females; age=58.9±9.9) without ischemic heart disease nor conditions that cause myocardial fibrosis and dilation were considered. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of edema were obtained and represented using a 17-segment model. Patients were divided into three groups according to the left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) as: G1 (EF>60%; n=37), G2 (35%>EF<60%; n=33) and G3 (EF<35%; n=12). Comparisons were performed by the Fisher or ANOVA tests. A Spearmans correlation was also performed. Edema was observed in 8 (9.8%) patients; 2 (5.4%) of G1, 4 (12.1%) of G2 and 2 (16.7%) of G3. It was observed at the basal inferolateral segment in 7 (87.5%) cases. LGE was observed in 48 (58.5%) patients; 16 (43.2%) of G1, 21 (63.6%) of G2 and 11 (91.7%) of G3 (p<0.05). It was predominantly observed in the basal segments in 35 (72.9%) patients, and in the apical segments in 21 (43.7%), with midwall (85.4%;n=41), and subendocardial (56.3%;n=27) distribution (Fig. 1A). Subendocardial lesions were observed only in patients with LVEF <30%. There was no involvement of the mid segments with a LVEF >35% (p<0.05). Deteriorations of the LV and RV systolic functions were positively correlated (rs=0.69; p<0.05) without evidence of LGE in the RV (Fig. 1B). Edema can be found in patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy.