TY - JOUR
TI - Visceral leishmaniasis during childhood in southern Greece
AU - Maltezou, HC
AU - Siafas, C
AU - Mavrikou, M
AU - Spyridis, P and
AU - Stavrinadis, C
AU - Karpathios, T
AU - Kafetzis, DA
JO - Clinical Infectious Diseases
PY - 2000
VL - 31
TODO - 5
SP - 1139-1143
PB - University of Chicago Press
SN - 1058-4838, 1537-6591
TODO - 10.1086/317455
TODO - null
TODO - Records were reviewed of 82 immunocompetent children (median age, 2.5
years) from southern Greece who were diagnosed with visceral
leishmaniasis from 1986 through 1998. Forty-nine (58%) patients
originated from the city of Athens; of them, 46 (94%) lived by hills
bordering the city. The median interval from the onset of symptoms to
admission was 10 days. Fever and splenomegaly were observed in >95% of
the patients. Thrombocytopenia was the most frequent hematological
finding (80%), All patients were treated with meglumine antimonate; 20
(24%) of them were partially treated on an outpatient basis. Rapid
clinical response was noted in all patients but one. Five patients
relapsed; 3 responded to reintroduction of meglumine antimonate, 1
responded to liposomal amphotericin B, and 1 underwent splenic artery
ligation. We conclude that pentavalent antimonials remain the first
choice of treatment for visceral leishmaniasis in immunocompetent
children in areas where resistance has not become a problem, It is
possible to treat affected patients with outpatient administration of
these agents, making them feasible options for therapy.
ER -