Open AccessMegacolon with infectious etiology that is infrequent in our country: Chagas disease
Author(s) -
M.M. Díaz Alcázar,
Beatriz Zúñiga de Mora Figueroa,
Adelina García Robles
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
revista española de enfermedades digestivas/revista española de enfermedades digestivas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.331
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 2340-4167
pISSN - 1130-0108
DOI - 10.17235/reed.2020.6643/2019
Subject(s) - medicine , megacolon , etiology , chagas disease , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , intensive care medicine , virology , pathology
We present the case of a 37-year-old male with constipation refractory to medical treatment, in the context of megacolon due to Chagas disease. The entire gastrointestinal tract may be affected but the digestive form is characterized by megaesophagus and megacolon. There is altered peristalsis due to the destruction of the neurons of the enteric nervous system caused by the parasite. Although the mortality rate is low, the disease can have a considerable impact upon quality of life. Chagas disease is poorly recognized and undertreated by healthcare providers in non-endemic regions.