Q. In the long term which are the organs affected by chronic Chagas' disease?
In the chronic stage of Chagas' disease, that manifests years after the infection, the trypanosoma infests the muscles of the heart causing insufficient blood pulmonary edema, pumping, and increase in the size of the organ (cardiomegaly). This is the cardiac manifestation of the Chagas' disease. The major symptoms that appear are cough, dyspnea and cardiac arrhythmias.
In the digestive type of manifestation of the disease the parasite destroys cells of the autonomic nervous system conscientious for the peristaltism of the digestive tube. Ever since the motility of the esophagus and intestines is reduced the transit of materials inside these organs is impaired and they increase in size (width), conditions respectively known as megacolon and megaesophagus. The major symptoms are dysphagia (impaired swallowing), constipation, formation of fecaloma and flatulence (accumulation of feces inside the bowels).