Pathologic substrates for arrhythmogenesis in chronic chagasic cardiopathy

Here are described the results of a histopathological study on 12 autopsy hearts of subjects deceased secondary to chronic chagasic cardiopathy in order to clarify the nature and the pathogenetic mechanism of its arrhythmogenic potential. The arrhythmogenic hazards of chagasic cardiomyopathy are mainly due to the striking disruptive fibrotic changes with ensuing electrical instability of the ventricular myocardium. Lesions of the conduction system, focal epiperineuritis, and an inconstant and questionable “neuronal depletion” of the cardiac plexuses in the disease play a concomitant role.