Chagas' Disease:Summary

• Trypanosoma cruzi, only in the New World

• Transmission via bugs, blood transfusion and congenitally, rarely orally

• Importance of poverty (housing)

• Acute (especially children): chancre, Romaña’s sign, fever, lymphadenophathy, myocarditis, hepatosplenomegaly

• Chronic: cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure, emboli, apical aneurysms

• Chronic: dysphagia, constipation (mega-syndrome)

• Diagnosis: clinical + thick smear/buffy coat (early), serology, xenodiagnosis, ECG, X-ray (late), PCR

• Treatment in the early phase still reasonably successful with medication; in the late phase difficult

• Benznidazole: problems with bone marrow toxicity, hypersensitivity, peripheral neuropathy.

• Prevention: much progress in recent years via vector control and control of blood banks.

Category: Medicine Notes