title: Echocardiographic evaluation of cardiac status in Indian visceral leishmaniasis patients.
abstract: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is endemic in many countries worldwide, including India. Globally, sodium stibogluconate (Sb) remains the cornerstone of therapy, except in some parts of India owing to increasing drug resistance. Although electrocardiographic changes associated with Sb therapy have been described, global cardiac function using tools such as colour Doppler echocardiography is less well studied. We evaluated the cardiac function of 14 newly diagnosed VL patients using two-dimensional M-mode and Doppler echocardiography. The evaluations were performed before, during and at the end of Sb therapy. Left ventricular function and dimensions remained within normal limits in all patients. Pericardial effusion was noted in four patients with heavy parasitaemia. Effusions were small, haemodynamically insignificant and resolved spontaneously. We conclude that pericardial effusion may occur in VL patients with heavy parasitaemia.
authors.affiliation: Kala-Azar Medical Research Center, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India. rs243@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shrivastava
authors.forename: Prabhat R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: Vijay P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Shyam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sundar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate