title: [Infantile visceral leishmaniasis: difficult diagnosis in cases complicated by hemophagocytosis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hemophagocytosis has already been reported in cases of visceral leishmaniasis and thus may complicate search for diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A previously healthy 2 year-old boy was referred for fever and splenomegaly with pancytopenia. An initial diagnosis of kala-azar was refuted because of absence of biological inflammatory syndrome, negativity of bone-marrow aspiration and splenic ponction and of specific serology. After three months of clinical deterioration and apparition of active hemophagocytosis, both bone marrow aspiration and specific serology for visceral leishmaniasis became positive. The boy was given sodium stibogluconate for 20 days; he improved gradually with complete and definitive remission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis may be difficult, even in countries where this condition is relatively frequent; the association with hemophagocytosis is possible and does not constitute a poor factor of prognosis if specific therapy is proposed.
authors.affiliation: Service de pédiatrie, hôpital F-Bourguiba, Monastir, Tunisie.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nadrid
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pousse
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laradi-Chebil
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khelif
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bejaoui
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Besbes
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radhouane
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Guediche
mesh_terms: D000965:Antimony / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015616:Histiocytosis, Non-Langerhans-Cell / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D000965:Antimony
vernacular_title: Leishmaniose viscérale infantile: un diagnostic difficile en cas d'hémophagocytose associée.