Chagas disease in the differential diagnosis of megacolon. Acquired nonchagas megacolon associated with the use of. The case was associated with the use of psychiatric medications. Megacolon knowledge for medical students and physicians. Megacolon is an abnormal dilation of the colon that can be caused by several factors. Some authors differentiate colonic redundancy from. All chagasic patients have been followed for many years due to chagas disease infection and were enrolled in this study because they developed only the megacolon clinical. Diagnosis, management and treatment of chronic chagas. Its a widening of the large intestine that develops within a few days and can be life. Acute megacolon ogilvies syndrome is the acute dilation of the colon, characteristically seen in severely medicallysurgically ill patients. The dilation is often accompanied by a paralysis of the peristaltic movements of the bowel. Pdf chagas disease in the differential diagnosis of megacolon. Toxic megacolon is a term used to express the seriousness of the condition.
Megacolon most commonly involves the sigmoid and the typical symptoms are constipation and abdominal pain. Pdf chagasic megaesophagus and megacolon diagnosed in. The colon is often described as distended or dilated 10,11,12. For a condition that is sometimes treated surgically, acquired megacolon amc is poorly understood and diagnostic criteria remain obscure 1,2,3,4,5,6. To transform a previously occurring functional motility dysbalance into a permanent megacolon, koberle 1968 and meneghelli 2004 suggested that loss of more than half. Discussion megacolon is an abnormal dilation of the colon that can be caused by several factors. Chagas disease with gastrointestinal involvement involves an inflammatory invasion of the enteric plexuses and degeneration of enteric neurons. Oesophageal manometric studies in patients chagas megacolon. Megacolon is an abnormal dilation of the colon also called the large intestine. Megacolon is the dilation of the colon in the absence of a mechanical obstruction e. After acute infestation with the chagas disease parasite, trypanosoma cruzi, some patients who are serologically positive develop chronic megacolon and megaesophagus, whereas others are symptomfree.
In the early stage, symptoms are typically either not present or mild, and may include fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, or swelling at the site of. Symptoms and diagnostic criteria of acquired megacolon a. Megacolon with achalasial zone in a chagas disease patient. In this excellent presentation, a report is made of the wellestablished role oft. Chagas disease, also known as american trypanosomiasis, is a tropical parasitic disease caused by trypanosoma cruzi. The symptoms change over the course of the infection. Chagas disease is curable if treated in the acute phase. Acquired megacolon chagas disease trypanosoma cruzi leads to denervation of hollow viscera and consequent dysfunction megacolon, megaesophagus, gastric dilatation neurologic disorders psychotic patients clinic.
Abstract the case report of a 63 year patient, with history of chronic constipation who attended. Feces may become impacted, which can lead to inflammation and further mucosal injury. The chief difference from the distal aganglionosis of hirschsprungs disease is that, in acquired megacolon of chagas disease, there are degenerative changes and quantitative reduction in the intramural ganglia of the entire intestinal tract. However, postoperative bowel functioning is not always satisfactory. It is spread mostly by insects known as triatominae, or kissing bugs.
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