title: Visceral leishmaniasis in a non-endemic area of India.
abstract: The study included 57 patients with visceral leishmaniasis. The average duration of symptoms was 3.8 +/- 3.55 months and pancytopenia was the commonest haematological abnormality. The parasite load directly correlated with the degree of anaemia at presentation (P=0.03). Splenic regression took 9.58 +/- 4.5 days and haematological parameters recovered in 14.5 +/- 9.07 days. There were five deaths over the five-year study duration. Leishmaniasis was not the first diagnosis in 14 patients, of whom eight were residents of non-endemic regions. Diagnosis was achieved in 13.5 days in these patients, compared to 4.5 days in patients where leishmaniasis was suspected at the outset.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. asud@doctor.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sud
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Marwaha
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trehan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Varma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006529:Hepatomegaly / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D010198:Pancytopenia / Q000469:parasitology; D010270:Parasite Egg Count
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents