Felty's syndrome and Kala-azar: a challenge for the rheumatologist.
Case report of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis who developed severe neutropenia, splenomegaly and was diagnosed with Felty's syndrome. The patient later developed Kala-azar. Both diseases have similar clinical and laboratory presentation, making the differential diagnosis difficult. The present case report aims at drawing attention to the identification of visceral Leishmaniasis infection in patients with rheumatic diseases, as well as possibility of a patient with Kala-azar mimicking a set of symptoms of systemic rheumatic disease.
Hospital Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. rafaelabicalho@yahoo.com.br
Rafaela Bicalho
RB
Viana
Cláudia Lopes Santoro
CL
Neiva
Ana Flávia Madureira de Pádua
AF
Dias
Eduardo José
EJ
do Rosário e Souza
Paulo Madureira
PM
de Pádua
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005258:Felty Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012219:Rheumatology