Congenital Chagas disease: experience in the Hospital de Niños, Ricardo Gutiérrez, Buenos Aires, Argentina

ALTCHEH J; BIANCARDI M; LAPEÑA A; BALLERING G; FREILIJ H

REVISTA DA SOCIEDADE BRASILEIRA DE MEDICINA TROPICAL

SOC BRASILEIRA MEDICINA TROPICAL

Lugar: BRASIL; Año: 2005 vol. 38 p. 41 - 45

0037-8682

Epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic data from children whowere born to mothers infected with T. cruzi who came to our hospital arepresented. In addition, we exhibit the preliminary results of a technique thatdetects the anti F2/3 antibodies: these would be able to confirm the cure earlierthan conventional serology. We also show the results of PCR diagnosis. Most ofthe mothers (76,1%) resided in Argentina, the rest were from Bolivia and ParaguayThe median average age at diagnosis of the patients was 8,5 months (range 15days-10 years). Out of 168 children, 64,98% were asymptomatic at diagnosis. Thediagnosis criteria were: T. cruzi observation by microhematocrit technique inpatients less than 7 month old. Two reactive serological tests in patients older than 8 months. A nifurtimox dose used in these patients was 10-13 mg/kg/d during 60 days. Although 31% presented side effects, none of them had to be dropped fromthe treatment. Cure criteria was conventional serology negativization. Of thepatient population, we cured 87,2% of them, 98% of those under 3 years, and 100% of those who received treatment before age 8 months. We compared the time ofnegativization between conventional serology and anti F2/3 in 21 children. Thelatter were very useful to demonstrate (p>0,001) the success of the treatment, inthose that started treatment after 8 months of age. PCR testing of a group of allpatients, showed a diagnostic sensibility of 80,3% and a specificity of 97,8%.