Visceral leishmaniasis in patients infected with HIV in the Barcelona area
Galofré, J.; Miró, J.M.; Mallolas, J.; García-Ruz, F.; Grau, J.M.
Revista Clinica Espanola 187(2): 98-99
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0014-2565 PMID: 2244070 Document Number: 356823
The case reports of 4 AIDS patients infected with Leishmania donovani attending the General Hospital, Barcelona, Spain, between October 1988 and October 1989, are presented. The men aged 29, 29, 35 and 36-years-old were all parenteral drug users. One patient was infected with Cryptosporidium. They had fever and splenomegaly. L. donovani was diagnosed by indirect immunofluorescence and liver biopsies. The patients were treated with meglumine 15 mg/kg/day for 3-6 weeks, and 3 also received alopurinol. They all recovered, however one patient had a relapse 5 months later. These are the first reported cases of HIV and L. donovani from Barcelona. The possibility of transmission of L. donovani due to parenteral drug abuse is discussed.