Cardiac lymph drainage in experimental African trypanosomiasis in vervet monkeys.

In group I (15 monkeys) the infection time was less than 70 days with one exception and histologically 14 had trypanosomal pancarditis with morphological evidence of lymph stasis. Trypanosomes served as markers of the dilated cardiac lymphatics seen at apices, atrioventricular junctions, near the His bundle, at the base of cardiac valves and around the root of the aorta and pulmonary artery. 3 hearts had apical aneurysms. In group II (6 monkeys) the infection time exceeded 130 days and despite specific non-arsenical treatment all relapsed. Histologically focal cardiac fibrosis and extravascular trypanosomes within the brain were seen (encephalitis), the latter was absent in group I. The impairment of the cardiac lymph flow is contributory to the development of pericarditis, valvulitis, myocytolysis, apical aneurysm as well as fibrosis, and it may well be a common denominator in the pathogenesis for cardiopathies induced by various pathogenes .