Clinical manifestations of peripheral nervous system involvement in human chronic Chagas disease

ABSTRACT

We conducted a clinical and electromyographical study in patients with Chagas' disease indeterminiate or chronic stages of the illness. Altogether 841 patients were examined. Only 511 Were admitted within the protocol; the remainder patients were rejected because they showed other causes able to danage the nervous system. Fifty two (1O. 17 per cent) out of the 511 patients showed signs and symptoms of peripheral nervous system involvement in the form of sensory impairiment and diminished tendon jerks suggesting the presence neuropathy. Forty five of them were submitted to a conventional electromygraphical examination. Fifthem of the showed normal results, while the remainder 30 disclosed a rcduced interference pattern, being most of the remainig motor unit potentials fragmented or poliphasic, reduced sensory and motor conduction velocities and diminished amplitude of the sensory action potential. 'The findings suggest that some chagasic paties in the determinate or chronic stages of the disease may develop a clinical mild sensory-motor peripheral neuropathy.