During the period between March 1980 and December 1991, 29 patients have been operated upon for removal of left ventricular aneurysms of Chagas' disease ethiology. There were 22 females and 7 males, with ages at operation ranging from 21 to 69 years. All of them had a positive immunologic reaction to Chagas disease; 8 patients presented preoperatively stroke, 8 patients had tiredness associated with heart failure, 8 patients had palpitations and seizures; 5 others presented multiple symptoms. Three patients had artificial pacemakers implanted. The electrocardiogram was abnormal in all cases; half of them had normal chest roentgenograms. Coronary arteriography was normal in all patients. Left ventricular angiogram demonstrated an apical lesion like a "nipple" in 14 cases, a saccular aneurysm in 8 cases, an inferior wall aneurysm in 4 cases, and combined apical and inferior aneurysms in 3 cases. One of the cases of double aneurysms had also severe mitral insufficiency. In 4 patients thrombi were detected in the left ventricular angiogram. There was no hospital mortality. During follow-up we registered a single death and 3 patients progressed to a complete heart block which required pacemaker insertion. Another patient had recurrence of preoperative arrhithmia. We conclude that surgical removal of left ventricular aneurysm associated with Chagas' disease in selected patients is a low mortality procedure, may prevent recurrent thromboembolysm, controls heart failure and may suppress arrhithmias in a significant number of patients.
Chagas' disease aneurysms; aneurysms, left ventricle