A review on cardiac manifestation of parasitic infection

Trop Parasitol. 2023 Jan-Jun;13(1):8-15. doi: 10.4103/tp.tp_45_21. Epub 2023 May 19.

Abstract

Parasites are uncommon causes of heart diseases except in endemic areas, and very few data are available which deals with parasites infecting human heart. However, literatures demonstrated that certain parasites such as protozoan and helminths can lead to significant cardiac complications. Although all organs can be affected, the heart and the lungs are the most frequently affected organs either directly or indirectly. It may involve all layers of the heart including pulmonary vasculature, thus producing a wide variety of clinical manifestations, which may present as myocarditis, pericarditis, cardiomyopathy, endomyocardial fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension.

Keywords: Arrhythmias; cardiomyopathy; heart failure; parasite; thromboembolism.

Publication types

  • Review