Advanced megaesophagus (Group III) secondary to vector-borne Chagas disease in a 20-month-old infant

• Autor(a) principal: Rassi,Anis
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Outros Autores: Rezende,Joffre Marcondes de, Rassi Junior,Anis
• Tipo de documento: Relatório
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0037-86822012000200026
• topic: Infant; Megaesophagus (Grade III); Vector-borne Chagas disease

The authors report the case of a female infant with Group III (or Grade III) megaesophagus secondary to vector-borne Chagas disease, resulting in severe malnutrition that reversed after surgery (Heller technique). The infant was then treated with the antiparasitic drug benznidazole, and the infection was cured, as demonstrated serologically and parasitologically. After follow-up of several years without evidence of disease, with satisfactory weight and height development, the patient had her first child at age 23, in whom serological tests for Chagas disease yielded negative results. Thirty years after the initial examination, the patient's electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and chest radiography remained normal.