title: Current epidemiological profile of Chagasic megaesophagus in Central Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chagasic megaesophagus (CM) is the most common digestive manifestation of Chagas disease in Brazil, and the State of Goiás is one of the most affected regions. In recent decades, the Hospital das Clínicas (HC)/Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG) has been a reference center for the study and treatment of CM. The objective of this study was to characterize the current epidemiological profile of patients with CM observed at the HC of the UFG from 1998 to 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 939 patient records were analyzed, and age, gender, place of birth, serology, symptoms and radiological classification according to Rezende et al. were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median patient age was 55 years. Male patients were more (54%) prevalent than female patients. The prevalence of younger patients (less than 31 years of age) was 4.2%, but 82.1% of the younger patients were from State of Bahia. Patients older than 40 years were the majority (85.5%). The radiological groups were distributed as follows: Group I (35.9%), Group II (32.9%), Group III (17%) and Group IV (14.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with previous studies by the same group in 1975, 1994 and 1995, the number of younger patients decreased, and the frequency curve has shifted to older patients.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Estudos de Doença de Chagas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil. disaliba@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Diogo Henrique Saliba de
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Maria da Glória Merheb
authors.initials: Mda G
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.forename: Cristiano Rezio
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luquetti
authors.forename: Joffre
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rezende Filho
authors.forename: Enio Chaves de
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004931:Esophageal Achalasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult