Visceral leishmaniasis in immunocompromised patients with and without AIDS: a comparison of clinical features and prognosis

• Published in: Acta tropica Vol. 90; no. 1; pp. 11 - 16
• Main Authors: Fernández-Guerrero, Manuel L., Robles, Pablo, Rivas, Pablo, Mójer, Francisca, Muñı́z, Gemma, de Górgolas, Miguel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.03.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; AIDS; Biological and medical sciences; Female; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV Seronegativity - immunology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human protozoal diseases; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunocompromised Host - immunology; Immunocompromised hosts; Infectious diseases; Kala azar; Leishmania; Leishmaniasis, Visceral - complications; Leishmaniasis, Visceral - mortality; Leishmaniasis, Visceral - physiopathology; Leshmaniasis; Male; Medical Records; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Parasitic diseases; Prognosis; Protozoal diseases; Retrospective Studies; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Visceral leishmaniasis; Kala azar; AIDS; Immunocompromised hosts; Visceral leishmaniasis; Human; Immunopathology; Protozoal disease; Prognosis; Leishmaniasis; Parasitosis; Immune deficiency; Infection; Symptomatology; Viral disease; Tropical medicine; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2003.09.009

Visceral leishmaniasis is basically a disease of healthy infants and adults. However, in the last decade an increasing number of cases of kala azar in immunocompromised patients have been reported with emphasis on atypical manifestations of the disease. During a period of 11 years, 20 immunocompromised patients with AIDS (12 patient), haematological neoplasia (3 patients), corticosteroid therapy (3 patients) or renal transplantation (2 patients) were studied by one or more of the authors. We did not find differences in the presentation of leishmaniasis between patient with or without AIDS and most patients had fever, enlargement of the liver and spleen, blood cytopenias and biochemical abnormalities. Serology was more frequently positive in HIV-negative than in HIV-positive patients (100% versus 63.6%; P=0.13). Bone marrow biopsy was diagnostic in 66% and 87% of patients with and without AIDS, respectively. Failure of anti-leishmanial therapy occurred in 6 of 19 patients treated (31.5%), and 3 patients with AIDS and another 3 without AIDS died during the first episode of leishmaniasis. Of 12 survivors, relapses occurred in five (41.6%). Only patients in whom immunosuppression was ameliorated by means of antiretroviral therapy or by reduction of corticosteroid and other immunosuppressive drugs did not relapse. Treatment of kala azar in immunocompromised host is in satisfactory and new drugs or strategies are urgently needed.