Visceral leishmaniasis: a common cause of post-infectious febrile pancytopenia in children in an endemic area: experience of a children's tertiary hospital.
Pediatr Emerg Care
; 28(6): 533-7, 2012 Jun.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-22653455
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL, kala-azar) is caused by Leishmania spp, a parasite that is commonly encountered in Mediterranean countries. Leishmaniasis usually presents with fever, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, and pancytopenia.OBJECTIVES:
The aim of the study was to prospectively examine the characteristics of cytopenia associated with VL and compare it with other post-infectious cytopenias observed in children with febrile illnesses.METHODS:
We studied 112 children, aged (mean) 4.0 (SD, 3.8) years (range, 0-14 years), who were admitted to the pediatric ward because of febrile cytopenia associated with infections, during a 2-year period (March 2005 to June 2007). Study participants were investigated with measurement of acute-phase reactants, bacterial cultures, and serologic tests.RESULTS:
Pancytopenia was detected in 9 (8%) of 112 patients (5 boys), with a mean age of 4.5 (SD, 3.0) years.The mean value of white blood cell was 3827 (SD, 1455)/mL; absolute neutrophil count, 1229 (SD, 655)/mL; hemoglobin, 8.3 (SD, 1.1) g/dL; and platelet count, 88,200 (SD, 20,186)/mL. All patients with pancytopenia had fever (mean duration, 8.9 [SD, 8.7] days) (maximum temperature, 39.5°C [SD, 0.6°C]) and hepatosplenomegaly (9/9), whereas 2 of 9 had lymphadenopathy. In these patients, a bone marrow aspiration was performed, and VL was detected in all 9 samples. They were treated with liposomal amphotericin B and had an excellent response rate. Pancytopenia resolved within a mean period of 17.6 (SD, 17.3) days (range, 8-60 days), and there was no relapse during a 2 years' follow-up.CONCLUSIONS:
In endemic countries, leishmaniasis is the main cause of febrile pancytopenia among children in whom hematologic malignancy has been ruled out.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pancytopenia
/
Endemic Diseases
/
Leishmaniasis, Visceral
Type of study:
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
/
Newborn
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
En
Journal:
Pediatr Emerg Care
Journal subject:
MEDICINA DE EMERGENCIA
/
PEDIATRIA
Year:
2012
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Greece