Parasitism of the vena cava and adrenal veins in chronic chagasic patients
Teixeira, V.d.P.; Almeida, H.d.O.; dos Reis, M.A.; Silveira, S.A.; Araujo, M.B.
Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia 52(1): 31-33
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0066-782X PMID: 2684104 Document Number: 329202
The occurrence of nest of trypanosoma cruzi in the smooth muscle cells of the central veins of the adrenal glands and the inferior vena cava was studied in 21 chronic Chagas' patients, by serial sections. Nine patients presented parasites in the adrenal veins, with a total of 24 nests, and only one nest was found in the inferior vena cava. The area of muscular tissue examined was of 2944.3 mm2 for the adrenal veins and of 47808.6 mm2 for the vena cava, giving a relation of 0.815 nests/100 mm2 for the adrenal vein and of 0.002 for the vena cava. Thus the smooth muscle of the adrenal vein was 407 times more parasited than the muscular wall of the inferior vena cava. This higher parasitism of the adrenal vein by trypanosoma cruzi in chronic Chagas' disease may be determined by its greater corticosteroid concentration, which can reduce the anti-trypanosomal defenses.