Reactivation of Tumor-like Chagas Disease in the Central Nervous System in Cardiac Transplant Patients: A Case Series and Literature Review

Abstract

Introduction Chagas disease is an important public health problem in Latin American countries, affecting ∼ 6 million people within the region. In patients with chronic Chagas disease who undergo some type of immunosuppression reactivation of the acute form may occur, and manifestations involve many organs, including the central nervous system. Tumor-like brain reactivations are well described in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; however, this is a very rare event among Chagasic patients immunosuppressed after a heart transplantation.

Keywords

• Chagas disease
• central nervous system diseases
• heart transplantation
• immunosuppression therapy
• doença de Chagas
• doenças do sistema nervoso central
• transplante de coração
• imunossupressão