VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS MISDIAGNOSED AS MALIGNANT-LYMPHOMA

Visceral leishmaniasis is a chronic infectious disease caused by a pro tozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania, characterized by intermittent fever, monocytosis, hepatosplenomegaly and hypergammaglobulinemia. Th is morbid condition is rather difficult to diagnose correctly, especia lly at its early stage, because it is rarely encountered in Japan, Rec ently we treated a case of visceral leishmaniasis in which the patient was misdiagnosed as malignant lymphoma, and went through splenectomy and steroid administration, which made the diagnosis more difficult.