Korean J Parasitol.
2014 Apr;52(2):189-191.
Visceral Leishmaniasis without Fever in an 11-Month-Old Infant: a Rare Clinical Feature of Kala-azar
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Pediatrics, Ali Asghar Children Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. sayyahfar.sh@iums.ac.ir
- 2Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 3Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Ali Asghar Children Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
- Visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar is an endemic parasitic disease in some parts of the world which is characterized by fever, splenomegaly, and pancytopenia in most of the cases. Herein we report an 11 month-old male infant with diagnosis of kala-azar who presented with pallor, hepatosplenomegaly, failure to gain weight, and no history of fever. Surprisingly, fever started after beginning of meglumine antimoniate treatment in this patient. As far as we are aware of, this is a rare presentation of visceral leishmaniasis. Therefore, clinicians especially in endemic areas are highly recommended to include kala-azar among differential diagnosis of unexplained anemia without fever to prevent misdiagnosis of this potentially fatal, but treatable condition.
MeSH Terms
-
Amphotericin B/therapeutic use
Anemia/*diagnosis/parasitology
Antiprotozoal Agents/*therapeutic use
Deoxycholic Acid/therapeutic use
Diagnosis, Differential
Drug Combinations
Endemic Diseases
*Fever
Humans
Infant
Iran
Leishmania infantum/pathogenicity
Leishmaniasis, Visceral/*diagnosis/*drug therapy/parasitology
Male
Meglumine/therapeutic use
Organometallic Compounds/therapeutic use
Splenomegaly/parasitology
Amphotericin B
Antiprotozoal Agents
Deoxycholic Acid
Drug Combinations
Organometallic Compounds
Meglumine
