Clinical assessment of subjects infected with Trypanosoma cruzi

Background: Trypanosoma cruzi infection is endemic in Northern/Central Chile. Aim: To perform a clinical assessment of patients infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. Patients and methods: Two hundred sixty three subjects with a positive serology for Trypanosoma cruzi, were invited by mail to a clinical assessment in a Regional Hospital. In a subsample of these, a polymerase chain reaction for Trypanosoma cruzi, was done. Results: Of all the invited subjects, 183 responded and were assessed at the hospital. Of these, 60 had cardiac affections, 52 had colon problems and 17, esophageal disease. Seventy four were asymptomatic. Of the 64 patients in whom polymerase chain reaction was done, 35 had a positive results. Conclusions: A high percentage of subjects infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, had clinical consequences of the infection. Polymerase chain reaction showed persistency of the parasite in more than half of the infected patients.