VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS (KALA-AZAR) AFTER A VISIT TO THE MEDITERRANEANREGION

The case of a 17-year-old patient is presented who became ill 10 month s after a holiday visit to Malta. Symptoms included fever peaking dail y at 40-degrees-C, pancytopenia, and splenomegaly. There was no eviden ce of bacterial or virological involvement, and probatory treatment wi th antibiotics followed by corticosteroids was without success. Examin ation of bone marrow led to the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (k ala-azar). A therapy with pentavalent antimony brought rapid improveme nt in clinical symptoms and led to complete recovery. A short review i s presented of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and therapy of visceral le ihmaniasis. The aim of this presentation is to remind the attendant ph ysician of the clinical symptoms involved with the possible case of vi sceral leishmaniasis.