Long-term follow-up of a patient since the acute phase of Chagas disease (South American trypanosomiasis): further treatment and cure of the infection

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: João Carlos Pinto Dias, Emmanuel Dias, Genard Carneiro da Cunha Nóbrega
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2015
• Subjects: Chagas disease; Specific treatment; Evolution; Cure; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0073-2015; https://doaj.org/article/27038e286ec14a3d8751a8e2841e72eb

ABSTRACTA woman had been followed since 1957 for acute phase Chagas disease. Parasitological and serological tests were positive, and treatment included benznidazole in 1974. Following treatment, parasitological test results were negative and conventional serology remained positive until 1994, with subsequent discordant results (1995-1997). The results became consistently negative since 1999. She had an indeterminate chronic form until 1974. Only two minor and transitory nonspecific alterations on electrocardiogram were noted, with the last nine records normal until June 2014. This case confirms the possibility of curing chronic disease and suggests the benefit of specific treatments for preventing long-term morbidity.