Diagnostic Challenges of Chagas Cardiomyopathy and CMR Imaging

Chagas disease comprises a poorly understood and studied clinical scenario, and the Chagas cardiomyopathy is the more representative field of these difficulties. Different from other cardiomyopathies, there is a discrepancy between its severity and poor prognosis and the low efficiency specific diagnostic and therapeutic available tools. Recently, cardiac magnetic resonance has evolved as an important cardiologic method of detailed and accurate myocardial evaluation. It has already been proved as a valuable test for cardiac functional and structural analysis. Considering the vast area that must be studied and researched regarding this cardiomyopathy, cardiac magnetic resonance is being considered an important recent tool for this purpose. The current use of this imaging method for Chagas cardiomyopathy is reviewed. For the proper image interpretation, the relevant pathophysiological aspects are remembered and the natural history of the Chagas disease is briefly reviewed.