Open AccessMorphometric study of the spleen in chronic Chagas' disease.
Author(s) -
Sanívia Aparecida de Lima Pereira,
Denise Bertulucci Rocha Rodrigues,
Eumênia Costa da Cunha Castro,
Marlene Antônia dos Reis,
Vicente de Paula Antunes Teixeira
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
american journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.015
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1476-1645
pISSN - 0002-9637
DOI - 10.4269/ajtmh.2002.66.401
Subject(s) - chagas disease , spleen , heart failure , connective tissue , medicine , pathology , follicular phase , trypanosoma cruzi , cardiology , parasite hosting , world wide web , computer science
There is frequently an increase in spleen size in infectious systemic and chronic venous congestion. The aim of this report was to perform a comparative study of the spleen tissue of chagasic or nonchagasic autopsied patients with or without congestive heart failure. Evaluations were made of 111 cases. Connective tissue intensity, follicular density and area, and follicular arterioles wall area were determined through the morphometric study. The connective tissue was similar in all groups. The density of the lymphoid follicles was significantly less among the chagasic cases (P = 0.032). The follicular area was larger among the chagasic cases and in the chagasic group with congestive heart failure. The chagasic group without congestive heart failure presented a greater area of follicular arteriole walls. Therefore, the spleen modifications in chronic Chagas' disease could be a consequence not only of the heart failure but also of the Chagas infection itself.
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