[Sudden death in patients with chagasic myocarditis].

We review the literature on sudden cardiac death in patients with chagasic myocarditis. Taking into account the published data, we discuss the differences between sudden cardiac death that occur in chagasic patients and that of patients with other cardiac diseases in particular with ischemic heart disease. On the basis of these differences, alternative physiopathological mechanisms are proposed: in chagasic patients, tachyarrhythmias are more frequently mediated by post-potential activity, and thus a larger proportion of brady-asystolic sudden death occurs.