Kala-Azar in Iraq: treatment of relapsing cases by splenectomy

Kala-azar is an endemic disease in Iraq, caused by the parasite Leishmania donovani, It was found to be of mediterranean varient which affects children only. The patients are usually responding to the treatment with triantimony sodium gluconate. In some of the treated cases the disease relapses within few months of therapy and a second course of therapy is needed. In this paper we report two cases of relapsing kala-azar despite repeated medical treatment, managed successfully by splenectomy