Cutaneous and presumed visceral leishmaniasis in a soldier deployed to Afghanistan.
Leishmaniasis has been frequently diagnosed in US military personnel returning from duty in Southwest Asia. The majority of cases have demonstrated cutaneous disease, although a few cases of visceral disease have been documented. We present the case of an immunocompetent, HIV-negative, US Army soldier who suffered both visceral and cutaneous manifestations of leishmaniasis after returning from deployment in Afghanistan. Overlap of cutaneous and visceral involvement is rare and has not been reported in our cohort. Latent Plasmodium vivax infection may have been an exacerbating cofactor. We discuss this case and present a review of the literature.
Woodrow
James P
JP
Department of Internal Medicine, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA. jake.woodrow@us.army.mil
Hartzell
Joshua D
JD
Czarnik
Jim
J
Brett-Major
David M
DM
Wortmann
Glenn
G
D000328:Adult; D000346:Afghanistan; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D010966:Plasmodium vivax