[Neuropathology of Chagas' disease]

CNS involvement includes: 1) acute phase: scattered focal meningoencephalitic lesions, meningeal and cerebral edema, disseminated microgranulomas containing microgliocytes and situated in relation to cerebral blood vessels, and moderate cerebral fluid pleocytosis. Acute chagasic meningoencephalitis is always fatal, and does not become chronic, as occurres with the myocardial lesions; 2) chronic phase: tromboembolic phenomena due to the chronic myocarditis, and cerebral and cerebelar atrophy of obscure pathogenesis and without inflammatory changes. B) vegetative nervous system involvement includes: 1) acute phase: neuronal destruction, with neuronal loss of varying intensity; 2) chronic phase: visceral dilatation due to neuronal loss during the acute phase.