Key result
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging successfully identified significant myocardial fibrosis indicative of Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy in two patients presenting with severe ventricular arrhythmias.
Why the study?
Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy often goes underdiagnosed in nonendemic regions despite conferring a heightened risk of severe ventricular arrhythmias from myocardial fibrosis.
Case Report (n=2)
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging plays a crucial role in diagnosing unrecognized Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy in patients presenting with severe ventricular arrhythmias in nonendemic regions.
CMR may aid diagnosis of unrecognized Chagas cardiomyopathy in nonendemic arrhythmia cases; leaves open need for prospective validation before broader adoption.
Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCM) is a progressive condition marked by myocardial fibrosis, which heightens the risk of severe ventricular arrhythmias (eg, ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia). Prompt recognition and intervention are particularly crucial in nonendemic regions where CCM often goes underdiagnosed. Here, we discuss 2 cases of Hispanic patients without prior Chagas disease history, each presenting with ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest and sustained ventricular tachycardia, respectively. Cardiac magnetic resonance was instrumental in diagnosing significant myocardial fibrosis and scarring indicative of CCM. Both patients received automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators for secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death, alongside guideline-directed medical therapy, leading to notable clinical improvement. These cases underscore the vital role of cardiac magnetic resonance in detecting myocardial fibrosis and guiding therapy for high-risk patients, illustrating how increased awareness and advanced imaging can enable timely diagnosis and potentially lifesaving treatments in nonendemic areas.
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Khan et al. (2025) conducted a case report in Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (n=2). Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was evaluated on Diagnosis of myocardial fibrosis and clinical improvement. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging successfully identified significant myocardial fibrosis indicative of Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy in two patients presenting with severe ventricular arrhythmias.
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