Visceral childhood leishmaniasis in southern Turkey: experience of twenty years

One hundred and one children with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) who admitted to Akdeniz University Hospital during a 20-year period were analyzed. Median age of the patients was 3 years (range: 5.5 months-13 years). The most common symptoms at presentation were fever, pallor and abdominal diste...

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Main Authors: Oğuz Dursun, Seyhan Erişir, Akif Yeşilipek
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hacettepe University Institute of Child Health 2009-02-01
Series:The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
Online Access:https://turkjpediatr.org/article/view/2248
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author Oğuz Dursun
Seyhan Erişir
Akif Yeşilipek
author_facet Oğuz Dursun
Seyhan Erişir
Akif Yeşilipek
author_sort Oğuz Dursun
collection DOAJ
description One hundred and one children with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) who admitted to Akdeniz University Hospital during a 20-year period were analyzed. Median age of the patients was 3 years (range: 5.5 months-13 years). The most common symptoms at presentation were fever, pallor and abdominal distension. Splenomegaly was found in all of the patients while hepatomegaly was present in 98%. Anemia (96%), leukopenia (74%) and thrombocytopenia (56%) were the main laboratory abnormalities. Thirty-three (33%) of the patients were pancytopenic on admission. Bone marrow smear was positive for leishmania in 91% of the patients. Seventy-four patients were treated with antimony +/- pentamidine and 27 with amphotericin B. Three of our patients died because of secondary infections and hemorrhage. Relapse was observed in two patients. No patient showed post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis findings. We conclude that VL should be considered in patients with prolonged fever, hepatosplenomegaly and cytopenia who live in an endemic region. Amphotericin B is a therapeutic agent as effective as pentavalent antimony compounds and could be preferred.
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issn 0041-4301
2791-6421
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publishDate 2009-02-01
publisher Hacettepe University Institute of Child Health
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series The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
spelling doaj-art-11bdc080935f47c2bd04cbbc4ef5226d2025-08-20T02:01:49ZengHacettepe University Institute of Child HealthThe Turkish Journal of Pediatrics0041-43012791-64212009-02-01511Visceral childhood leishmaniasis in southern Turkey: experience of twenty yearsOğuz Dursun0Seyhan ErişirAkif YeşilipekDivision of Intensive Care, Department of Pediatrics, Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey. One hundred and one children with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) who admitted to Akdeniz University Hospital during a 20-year period were analyzed. Median age of the patients was 3 years (range: 5.5 months-13 years). The most common symptoms at presentation were fever, pallor and abdominal distension. Splenomegaly was found in all of the patients while hepatomegaly was present in 98%. Anemia (96%), leukopenia (74%) and thrombocytopenia (56%) were the main laboratory abnormalities. Thirty-three (33%) of the patients were pancytopenic on admission. Bone marrow smear was positive for leishmania in 91% of the patients. Seventy-four patients were treated with antimony +/- pentamidine and 27 with amphotericin B. Three of our patients died because of secondary infections and hemorrhage. Relapse was observed in two patients. No patient showed post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis findings. We conclude that VL should be considered in patients with prolonged fever, hepatosplenomegaly and cytopenia who live in an endemic region. Amphotericin B is a therapeutic agent as effective as pentavalent antimony compounds and could be preferred. https://turkjpediatr.org/article/view/2248
spellingShingle Oğuz Dursun
Seyhan Erişir
Akif Yeşilipek
Visceral childhood leishmaniasis in southern Turkey: experience of twenty years
The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
title Visceral childhood leishmaniasis in southern Turkey: experience of twenty years
title_full Visceral childhood leishmaniasis in southern Turkey: experience of twenty years
title_fullStr Visceral childhood leishmaniasis in southern Turkey: experience of twenty years
title_full_unstemmed Visceral childhood leishmaniasis in southern Turkey: experience of twenty years
title_short Visceral childhood leishmaniasis in southern Turkey: experience of twenty years
title_sort visceral childhood leishmaniasis in southern turkey experience of twenty years
url https://turkjpediatr.org/article/view/2248
work_keys_str_mv AT oguzdursun visceralchildhoodleishmaniasisinsouthernturkeyexperienceoftwentyyears
AT seyhanerisir visceralchildhoodleishmaniasisinsouthernturkeyexperienceoftwentyyears
AT akifyesilipek visceralchildhoodleishmaniasisinsouthernturkeyexperienceoftwentyyears