Saturday, February, 11, 2012

Chagas disease

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

American trypanosomiasis


Symptoms

Chagas disease has two phases -- acute and chronic. The acute phase may have no symptoms or very mild symptoms. Symptoms include:

  • Fever
  • General ill feeling (malaise)
  • Swelling of one eye
  • Swollen red area at site of insect bite

After the acute phase the disease goes into remission. No other symptoms may appear for many years. When symptoms finally develop, they may include:

  • Constipation
  • Digestive problems
  • Pain in the abdomen
  • Swallowing difficulties

Signs and tests

Physical examination can confirm the symptoms. Signs may include:

  • Cardiomyopathy
  • Enlarged liver and spleen
  • Enlarged lymph nodes
  • Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
  • Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)

Tests include:

  • Blood culture
  • Chest x-ray
  • Echocardiogram
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA)
  • Peripheral blood smear

Review Date: 09/15/2010
Reviewed By: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)