chronic disease

Last reviewed 01/2018

  • patients enter the chronic stage of illness after 4 to 6 weeks of the acute illness
  • symptomatic chronic infection may develop years (or even decades) after the initial infection in 10 to 30% of patients

Chronic infection may have the following complications:

  • the heart:
    • biventricular enlargement
    • thinning of ventricular walls
    • apical aneurysms
    • mural thrombi
    • conduction abnormalities - right bundle-branch block, left anterior fascicular block, complete atrio- ventricular block

  • gastrointestinal tract:
    • megaoesophagus, megacolon, megaduodenum
    • infection causes the destruction of the myenteric plexus, not only in the wall of the oesophagus but also in the duodenum, colon and ureter