Megacolon in Chagas' disease

This code identifies the presence of megacolon specifically as a chronic manifestation of Chagas' disease (American trypanosomiasis). It describes the pathological enlargement and dilation of the colon, resulting from the destruction of the enteric nervous system by Trypanosoma cruzi infection.

Use this code when documentation clearly indicates a diagnosis of megacolon that is directly attributed to Chagas' disease. This typically occurs in the chronic indeterminate or chronic symptomatic phases of the infection. Supporting documentation should include a confirmed diagnosis of Chagas' disease and clinical or imaging findings consistent with megacolon.

• Always sequence the underlying Chagas' disease (B57.x) as the primary diagnosis, followed by this code for the manifestation.
• Ensure documentation explicitly links the megacolon to Chagas' disease; do not use for megacolon from other etiologies.
• Do not confuse with non-Chagasic megacolon codes (e.g., K59.3x for other forms of megacolon).