Death due to acute Chagas -related myocarditis in a child: a case report

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Theresa Cristina Cardoso da Silva, Karina Balestreiro Silva, Clemilda Soares Marques, Janaína Aparecida Schineider Casotti, Eveline de Fátima Almeida Fonseca Eduardo, Jane Sant’ana Castello, Maria Augusta Dario, Juliana Rodrigues Tovar Garbin, Sandra Fagundes Moreira-Silva
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2020
• Subjects: Chagas disease; Chagas-related cardiomyopathy; Trypanosoma cruzi; Child; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0406-2019; https://doaj.org/article/442e60984f614669ba408688f65f38a2

Abstract This is a case report about the only confirmed death in the State of Espírito Santo due to acute Chagas-related myocarditis in a 2-year-old child living in the rural area of Guarapari. He presented with fever, abdominal pain, headache, and vomiting, resulting in death 21 days after the presentation of symptoms. Amastigote forms were observed in the myocardial fibers in histological examination. The boy’s mother had reported finding “kissing bugs” in the child’s hand. This case highlights the need to include Chagas disease in the differential diagnosis in health care to provide early treatment and avoid death in affected individuals.