[Kala azar - Lethal course of visceral leishmaniasis. Synchronous infection with Leishmania donovani/infantum complex and Leishmania major in a patient after Mediterranean vacation].

BACKGROUND: Infections with Leishmania spp. are endemic in areas of the tropics and subtropics. An increased incidence of human infections has been reported in southern Europe, where zoonotic leishmaniasis is common. The systemic, visceral infection is caused by the Leishmania donovani/infantum complex and may be fatal when untreated. PATIENT AND METHODS: A 42-year-old man presented with a 6 week history of erythroderma, pancytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly and recurrent fever after a sojourn in Croatia. The patient's past history revealed a 10-year history of psoriasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treated with methotrexate and prednisolone. Pathology was assessed by histology and molecular biologic analyses. RESULTS AND COURSE: A repeated bone marrow biopsy revealed multiple intracellular particles which were identified as Leishmania amastigotes. Indirect immunofluorescence as well as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of patient's serum showed specific anti-Leishmania antibodies. Despite rapid initiation of systemic therapy, the patient died of a secondary infection. Post mortem, PCR and sequencing revealed synchronous infection with Leishmania donovani/infantum complex and Leishmania major.
CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis of patients with complex clinical features is challenging even for experienced clinicians. Critical interpretation of findings and, if necessary, repetition of invasive examinations may be necessary for proper diagnosis. Increasing numbers of immunocompromised patients (iatrogenic, HIV) will expand the spectrum of rare infectious diseases including visceral leishmaniasis.