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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffIf Chagas disease progresses to the chronic phase, serious heart or digestive complications may occur. These may include:
- Heart failure. Heart failure occurs when your heart becomes so weak or stiff it can't pump enough blood to meet your body's needs.
- Enlargement of the esophagus (megaesophagus). This rare condition is caused by the abnormal widening (dilation) of your esophagus, which can result in difficulty with swallowing and digestion.
- Enlargement of the colon (megacolon). Megacolon occurs when your colon becomes abnormally dilated, causing abdominal pain, distension and severe constipation.
References
- Chagas: Detailed fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/chagas/factsheets/detailed.html. Accessed April 27, 2009.
- Leder K, et al. Epidemiology and control of Chagas' disease. http://www.uptodate.com/online/content/topic.do?topicKey=parasite/18. Accessed April 27, 2009.
- Bern C, et al. Evaluation and treatment of Chagas diseases in the United States: A systematic review. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2007;298:2171.
- Yacoub S, et al. Neglected tropical cardiomyopathies: I. Chagas disease. Heart. 2008;94:244.
- Milei J, et al. Prognostic impact of Chagas disease in the United States. American Heart Journal. 2009;157:22.
- Chagas disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.medhelp.org/NIHlib/GF-510.html. Accessed April 27, 2009.
