CLINICAL AND LABORATORY FEATURES OF CHILDHOOD VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS IN SOUTHWESTERN SAUDI-ARABIA

The clinical and laboratory features of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) we re studied in 51 children at Abha in southwestern Saudi Arabia, an are a endemic for the disease. The majority of patients came from the coas tal Tihama Valley or had visited the Valley from the hills. There was a predilection for infants and young children (median age 18 months). A double quotidian fever pattern was observed in half the patients. Sp lenomegaly was noted to be more common and more severe than hepatomega ly. Important hematological features were anemia, often severe, neutro penia and thrombocytopenia. Common biochemical abnormalities included hepatic dysfunction, hypoalbuminemia and hyperglobulinemia. The hemato logical and biochemical changes noted in VL are nonspecific. Our findi ngs are compared with those from other endemic areas. Saudi Arabian VL resembles the Mediterranean form of the disease.