Abstract

BACKGROUND: Leishmaniasis is a parasitic infection spread by the bite of infected sand flies that are usually present in the Middle East, Africa, and some parts of Asia and Europe. Leishmaniasis manifests in 3 different forms: Visceral (also known as Kala Azar), which is the most serious type; cutaneous, which is the most common type; and mucocutaneous. The symptoms of this infection range from a silent infection to fever, enlargement of the liver and spleen, weight loss, and pancytopenia.

CASE REPORT: In this case report, we discuss a 73-year-old man known to have chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), presenting with unremitting fever and who to our surprise was found to have Kala Azar.

CONCLUSIONS: Early diagnosis and treatment are very important in treating visceral leishmaniasis. While the conventional treatment in immunocompromised patients is liposomal amphotericin B, our patient responded to corticosteroids.

Keywords: general surgery, Laparoscopes, Medical Oncology