Tropenerkrankungen des Herzens

American trypanosomiasis is a parasitosis found through Latin America; it is transmitted through contact with fecal excretions of triatomine bugs or through blood transfusion. Up to 30% of the infected individuals develop a chronic form of Chagas disease, mainly affecting the heart, digestive tract or central nervous system. Clinical syndromes compatible with Chagas disease include conduction system abnormalities, apical aneurysms, disturbances of wall motion without signs of coronary heart disease, bradyarrhythmias or tachyarrhythmias, and dilated cardiomyopathy. Cardiac involvement is reported in up to 2% of echinococcosis patients. Hydatid cysts of the interventricular septum cause conduction system abnormalities. Intrapericardial rupture of a cyst can lead to pericarditis and cardiac tamponade, while the consequences of intracardiac rupture may be embolization to the pulmonary or systemic circulation. An anaphylactic reaction and death may follow intracavitary rupture.