Chagas cardiomyopathy

A disease of the cardiac muscle developed subsequent to the initial protozoan infection by trypanosoma cruzi. After infection, less than 10% develop acute illness such as myocarditis (mostly in children). The disease then enters a latent phase without clinical symptoms until about 20 years later. Myocardial symptoms of advanced chagas disease include conduction defects (heart block) and cardiomegaly.