new breakthrough in treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in children

ABSTRACT

Fifty cases of visceral leishmaniasis were admitted in Children's Hospital, Islamabad. Common clinical features were fever [100%], splenomegaly [100%], hepatomegaly [100%], anaemia [96%], abdominal distension [40%], bronchopneumonia [26%] and bleeding diathesis [22%]. Hb was below 7.0 G/dl in 80%, white cell count below 4x10[9]/c[mm] in 88% and platelet count below 100x10[9]/c[4mm] in 86%. All the patients showed leishmania donovani bodies in the marrow smears. Fourteen patients were treated with aminosidine [15 mg/kg], intramuscularly daily for 4 weeks. All responded dramatically and none of them went into relapse in a year's follow-up. No side-effects were observed. Aminosidine can therefore, be recommended as a treatment of choice for visceral leishmaniasis in children