title: Inflammation and glandular duct dilatation of the tongue from patients with chronic Chagas disease.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate morphologically the tongue of individuals with chronic Chagas disease (CD) in comparison to the non-chagasic ones. Twenty-four protocol cases of autopsies were selected. They were subdivided into CD patients (10 cases) and non-chagasic ones (14 cases). The morphometric analysis was accomplished for the tongue muscle and salivary glands duct lumen area. In three CD patients, perineuritis was found, and two of them showed megaesophagus and megacolon. The intensity of the inflammation in the von Ebner's glands, the tongue muscles, and the salivary glands duct lumen area was significantly higher in the CD patients. We concluded that the CD patients show salivary glands duct dilatation, which probably would have a relation with alterations in the autonomic nervous system. The inflammation found in CD patients is in accordance with that described in comparative studies on the digestive tract and heart. These morphological findings suggest that the histopathological analysis of the tongue associated with other organs, or even in an isolated manner, can add in the diagnosis and pathogenesis of the CD chronic phase.
authors.affiliation: General Pathology Division, University of Uberaba, Uberaba, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sanívia Aparecida
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: de Lima Pereira
authors.forename: Denise Bertulucci Rocha
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Mara Lúcia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: da Fonseca Ferraz
authors.forename: Eumenia Costa
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: da Cunha Castro
authors.forename: Marlene Antonia
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: dos Reis
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: de Paula Antunes Teixeira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001344:Autopsy; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018987:Salivary Ducts / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D014059:Tongue / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology