BJH - volume 15, issue 8, december 2024
E. De Bondt MD, J. Brijs MD, T. Tousseyn MD, PhD, P. Vanbrabant MD, H. Schoemans MD, PhD, L. Henckaerts MD, PhD
SUMMARY
We report the case of a 32-year-old female patient who was sent to the emergency department because of nocturnal fever, night sweats, pancytopenia and an elevated CRP. Clinical examination showed a pale patient with a splenomegaly of 17.6 cm. Standard blood tests for infectious diseases remained negative. Travel history revealed a trip to Spain seven months ago. Leishmania serology on blood and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on bone marrow were found positive. The diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis was made and the patient was treated with intravenous amphotericin B, with a rapid clinical and biochemical recovery. Leishmaniasis is a (sub)tropical, vector-borne disease caused by intracellular protozoan parasites, spread by sand-flies. Visceral leishmaniasis is the most severe form and presents in a nonspecific way. This case illustrates the importance of a good work-up of pancytopenia, a relatively frequent medical condition with multiple causes. The possibility of visceral leishmaniasis should not be forgotten, especially in case of a suggestive travel history.
(BELG J HEMATOL 2024;15(8):329–32)
Read more
Top
