A case report of visceral leishmaniasis and malaria co-infection with pancytopenia and splenomegaly - a diagnostic challenge

BMC Infect Dis. 2019 Oct 15;19(1):849. doi: 10.1186/s12879-019-4478-1.

Abstract

Background: Leishmaniasis and malaria are tropical diseases with more than half of the world population at risk of infection resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Co-infection of Leishmaniasis and malaria pose a great challenge in the diagnosis as well as overall management.

Case presentation: In this case report, we present a rare case of a 5 years old child hailing from non-endemic region of Nepal with history of fever for a period of 3 months who was diagnosed as co-infection of malaria due to Plasmodium vivax and visceral Leishmaniasis with pancytopenia that subsequently improved after a course of treatment.

Conclusions: A high index of suspicion for a possibility of co-infection with Leishmaniasis and malaria should be borne in mind when an individual hailing from or having history of travel to endemic countries presents with prolonged fever.

Keywords: Co-infection; Leishmaniasis; Malaria; P.vivax.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Child, Preschool
  • Coinfection / diagnosis*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Humans
  • Leishmania donovani / isolation & purification
  • Leishmaniasis, Visceral / complications
  • Leishmaniasis, Visceral / diagnosis*
  • Malaria / complications
  • Malaria / diagnosis*
  • Malaria / parasitology
  • Male
  • Nepal
  • Pancytopenia / diagnosis*
  • Pancytopenia / etiology
  • Plasmodium vivax / isolation & purification
  • Splenomegaly / diagnosis*
  • Splenomegaly / etiology