Trypanosoma cruzi myocardial infection reactivation presenting as complete atrioventricular block in a Chagas' heart transplant recipient.

ABSTRACT

A 56-year-old man underwent orthotopic heart transplantation because of end-stage Chagas' cardiomyopathy. One hundred and ten days following heart transplantation, an electrocardiogram tracing showed complete atrioventricular block, which was treated with temporary transvenous pacemaker insertion. An underlying endomyocardial biopsy was graded 3A. The patient was treated with pulse steroid therapy. One week later, the patient died of multiorgan failure secondary to septicemia. A careful review of the endomyocardial biopsy showed nests of parasites in the myocardial tissue accompanied by mononuclear cell infiltrate similar to that found in acute graft rejection. Thus, complete atrioventricular block may be another clinical manifestation of Trypanosoma cruzi infection reactivation in Chagas' heart transplant recipients.