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[Visual evoked potentials in chronic Chagas-Mazza disease].

Abstract

Both modalities of visual evoked potentials (VEP), flash (F) and pattern (P), were carried out in 17 patients with chronic Chagas disease. The patients included, between 21 and 65 years old, presented an evolution period of more than 7 years and a minimum of two positive serologies. Those patients with diabetes, alcoholism, leprosy, syphilis and degenerative diseases of the central nervous system, so as intoxications of different etiologies, and visual disorders detected through ophthalmological examination were discarded. Everyone was studied by means of routine clinical and complementary analysis, electrocardiogram, ophthalmological examination and specific analyses for the disease, like Machado-Guerreiro reaction, immunofluorescence and hemoagglutination tests. The VEP results showed alterations in the morphology of the record and a decrease of the potential amplitude in 35% of these patients. The electroneurophysiological alterations would suggest a correlation with anatomopathologic findings, that show loss of neuronal groups in autopsies of chronic Chagasic patients.

More information

Type
Journal Article
Author
Pelli-Noble R F
Iguzquiza O D
Graiff de Riarte E

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