Title:An 8-Year Retrospective Study of Human Visceral Leishmaniasis
Volume: 11
Issue: 4
Author(s): Juliana F. Barbosa, Sonia M. de Figueiredo, Sandra Lyon and Rachel B. Caligiorne
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Amphotericin B, HIV/Aids, Leishmania spp, visceral leishmaniasis.
Abstract: Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a zooanthroponosis affecting both rural and periurban
areas, and can also spread into urban areas. VL has emerged in many countries in the world,
presenting new cases in new countries of occurrence. Thus, studies concerning epidemiological aspects in
different world regions are very meaningful.
Methods: With this purpose, this study analyzed 89 cases of VL, treated between June 2006 and June
2014 at Eduardo de Menezes Hospital (HEM), a Reference Center of Infectious Diseases situated in Belo
Horizonte, in Minas Gerais state, Brazil.
Results: According to the results, it was observed that males are mostly infected (84%/n=75) and the
most affected age range was 20-49 years old (83%/n=74). The treatment liposomal amphotericin B
(33%/n=29) was mostly used. Recurrences were more frequent in patients treated with Glucantime
®
(17%/n=9). No side effects were reported among the 29 patients treated with liposomal amphotericin B.
On the other hand, there were 23 cases related to the occurrence of acute renal failure (ARF) and the use
of conventional amphotericin B, both when it was administered alone or in combination with other drugs.
Additionally, we observed a close relationship between the VL and HIV infection, observing a coinfection
rate of 28.1% (n=25).
Conclusion: From the survey data, it was possible to conclude that the majority of VL patient treated at
HEM is male, classified as brown racial group, economically active, and may be drug addicts, chronic
alcoholics and/or smokers. They may present some Non-communicable diseases (NCD), such as
hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and/or obesity and, predominantly present a great chance of
being a carrier of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, associated or not with tuberculosis. As symptoms,
these patients possibly will present hepatosplenomegaly, fever and pronounced weight loss.
