Autochthonous Chagas' disease in Santa Catarina State, Brazil: report of the first case of digestive tract involvement

Abstract

We report the first case of digestive tract pathology (megaesophagus) determined by Trypanosoma cruzi infection in Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil. A 63-year- old female had presumptive clinical diagnosis of Chagas' disease, which was confirmed by imaging (endoscopy and esophagogram) and immunological methods. Further molecular diagnosis was carried out with esophagus and blood samples collected during corrective surgery. Polymerase chain reaction tested positive for Trypanosoma cruzi in both esophagus and buffy coat samples.

Keywords

• Trypanosoma cruzi
• Human Chagas disease
• Santa Catarina State
• Megaesophagus