SIDE EFFECTS OF BENZNIDAZOLE IN ADULT CHRONIC CHAGAS DISEASE PATIENTS

VIOTTI R; VIGLIANO C; LOCOCO B; ALVAREZ MG; PETTI M; BERTOCCHI G; LAUCELLA S; ARMENTI A

Rio de Janeiro

Simposio; Simposio Internacional Comemorativo do Centenário da Descoberta da Doença de Chagas; 2009

Ten million people are affected with Chagas disease in Latin American countries, caused by a parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted primarily by a triatomine insect. The principal aim of the management of the disease is to avoid the development of cardiomyopathy and transmission by blood transfusion, congenital, and organ transplants. Currently, benznidazole is the only etiological treatment commercially available for the disease until new and better drugs can be developed and tested. Benznidazole has been used even though it does not have all the conditions of an ideal drug. The efficacy and tolerance of benznidazole is inversely related to the age of the patient, while its side effects are more frequent in old aged patients. The side effects are evaluated systematically only in controlled studies and designed for that purpose. However, the true clinical impact of the side effects could be different, considering that the treatment is for a short duration (between 30 and 60 days) and carried out only one time. We will attempt to discuss the benefits and risks of the treatment from a clinical point of view to be considered for the management of the treatment of Chagas disease in the current medical practice.