Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
9282929 | Microbes and Infection | 2005 | 6 Pages |
Abstract
Eleven new cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are reported in organ transplant patients in France. The epidemiological, clinical, biological, diagnostic and therapeutic features are reviewed, based on these cases and 46 cases reported in the literature. VL was most commonly associated with renal transplantation (77% of the cases). Most patients were from Southern European countries. The main clinical symptom was fever. Leucopoenia and anaemia were the most frequent haematological disorders. Diagnosis was by direct finding of the parasite in smears of bone marrow (85.2%) or, by positive serology (90.9%). Without antileishmanial treatment, VL in transplant recipients was fatal. Treatment using either antimonials or amphotericine B gave similar cure rates of around 80% of the cases. But toxicity was higher for antimonials. Relapses occurred in 14.3%.
Related Topics
Life Sciences
Immunology and Microbiology
Immunology
Authors
Didier Basset, Françoise Faraut, Pierre Marty, Jacques Dereure, Eric Rosenthal, Charles Mary, Francine Pratlong, Laurence Lachaud, Patrick Bastien, Jean-Pierre Dedet,