Histologic typing of collagen fibers from 15 hearts of patients with chronic Chagas' disease was made by using the Sirius Supra Red F3BA stain according to Junqueira's method. All patients had congestive heart failure and left vorticilar lesion. The preparations were stained with Sirius Supra Red F3BA and were examined under polarized light (Leitz photomicroscope) which revealed collagen fibers types I and III in the fibrotic areas. Type I was predominant in the vorticilar area, but it was also present in other areas of the myocardium, such as endomysium and perimysium of the left ventricle and in subendocardial areas of the papillary muscles. Type III was more often encountered in inner third of the vorticilar lesions, endocardium of left ventricular wall and in the areas of the myocardium where the inflammation was still present.
Chagas' disease; Chagas' disease with vorticilar lesion; Collagen fiber types