[The heart and malaria].

The authors study cardiac symptoms in malaria and consider four different situations. -Cardiac symptoms in 50 cases of acute malaria: these symptoms are functional in 14 p. 100 of the cases and objective in 40 p. 100 of the cases. Changes of repolarisation of the ECG recorded in 36 p. 100 of the cases may be related to hyperthermia (acting as a stress test) or to a malarial change in myocardium. - Cardiac symptoms in other malarial aspects: they are caused by a myocardiopathy resulting of malarial chronic anemia. - Cardiac symptoms during malarial fit in patients already affected by a cardiopathy: they are mainly blood hypopressure, persistent tachycardia and they are more a consequence of the hyperthermic strain applied to an already damaged heart than of malaria by itself. - Cardiac symptoms, related to the use of antimalarial drugs. They are obvious in acute voluntary intoxications, in excessive doses or in case of normal doses in patients with renal insufficiency or hypokaliemia.