BACKGROUND: The Tei index simultaneously evaluates the ventricular systolic and diastolic functions. It has a good correlation with hemodynamic data and has enabled the detection of initial ventricular function alterations of different etiologies. OBJECTIVE: To study initial biventricular function alterations in chagasic patients with no apparent heart disease, using the Tei index. METHODS: Forty eight individuals were evaluated. Group 1 was comprised of 25 patients diagnosed with Chagas´ disease with no apparent heart disease and normal echocardiogram; group 2 was comprised of 23 healthy individuals with negative serological tests for Chagas´ disease. RESULTS: The Tei index was significantly higher in the group of chagasic patients with no apparent heart disease when compared to that of the control group: left ventricular Tei index (0.48 ± 0.11 vs. 0.36 ± 0.06, p < 0.001) , right ventricular Tei index (0.34 ± 0.10 vs. 0.26 ± 0.07, p = 0.001). The left and right ventricular Tei indexes were considered abnormal in 48% and 28% of the chagasic patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: Chagasic patients with no apparent heart disease present early alterations of the right and left ventricles.
Ventricular dysfunction; Chagas´; disease; Chagas´; cardiomyopathy
