[Cardiac involvement in human African trypanosomiasis]

The authors recall the known signs; clinical, radiological, African human trypanosomiasis, signs often misappreciated or under-estimated in regard to the neurological symptomatology. The authors recall the known signs clinical, radiological, phonocardiographic, electrocardiographic. They underline the interest of reversible conduction disorders. Observed pathologic lesions concern mainly myocardium, but also endocardium and pericardium. Inflammatory lesions are not specific in humans. Trypanosoma are frequent in animals. Signs observed may regress (atrioventricular blocks treated by corticoïds, pericardial effusion) but they may also lead to death. In fatal trypanosomiasis, it often exists a cardiac stroke, which does not exist in arsenical encephalopathy. Cardiovascular signs may be linked to central nervous system stroke (anomalies of arterial pressure, modification of cardiac frequency). But other signs are probably linked to inflammatory stroke of hearts tunicae. Such signs may depend of the immunologic capability of some individuals. Interest of cardiovascular signs might be to indicate such an inflammatory state and its may be regression.