ABSENCE OF TRYPANOSOMA-CRUZI MYOCARDIAL INFECTION REACTIVATION IN CHAGAS HEART-TRANSPLANT

The risk of Trypanosoma cruzi myocardial infection reactivation after immunosuppressive therapy has led to precluding heart transplantation as a therapeutic procedure for patients with end-stage Chagas' heart d isease. We report a case of an orthotopic heart transplantation in a 4 3-year-old critically ill chagasic patient with an uneventful postoper ative period. He was treated with azathioprine and cyclosporine to con trol graft rejection and showed no reactivation of the chagasic infect ion. One year following surgery, the patient is doing well. Nonsteroid al therapy appears not to reactivate T cruzi infection in transplant c hagasic patients.