[Three cases of visceral leishmaniasis in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire].

Three cases of visceral leishmaniasis were observed in a cohort of 528 patients admitted to the Department of Pulmonary Disease of the Cocody University Hospital Center in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire from June 2001 to May 2002. All three patients including 2 women and 1 man were young Ivorians. Assessment of predisposing factors demonstrated that all three patients had diminished immune systems resulting from long-term (2-month) steroid therapy in one patient and AIDS with low rates of CD4 T cells around 100 cells/microl in 2 patients. Clinical features were variable but mainly involved constant refractory fever, anaemia, lymphadenopathy and pleurisy with clear fluid. Despite treatment with meglumine antimoniate, two patients died within the first weeks.