VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS IN PAKISTANI CHILDREN

Visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in Pakistan, No studies of visceral leishmaniasis in childhood have been reported from Pakistan, We prospe ctively studied clinical and laboratory features in 58 Pakistani child ren with visceral leishmaniasis, Mean age of the children was 2.9 year s, Fever, pallor, and abdominal distention were the most common clinic al manifestations, and hematologic abnormalities were the most common laboratory findings. All children recovered after antimicrobial therap y, Pakistani children with visceral leishmaniasis tended to be younger than affected children from Africa and were less likely to have lymph adenopathy.