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Chagas disease - Symptom

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

Kissing bug

Antibodies

Reviewed last on: 9/28/2008
Jatin M. Vyas, PhD, MD, Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Neva FA. American trypanosomiasis (Chagas' disease). In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier, 2007;chap 368.

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