The review of imported visceral leishmaniosis in the Czech Republic.

BACKGROUND

From the late 1950s through 2000, a total of 8 cases of imported visceral leishmaniosis (VL) were registered in the Czech republic.

OBJECTIVES

The authors were made to point to the issue of imported VL by the fact 3 cases of this disease (imported from East Africa, Croatia, and southern Italy) were reported in 1999, plus another one (again imported from Croatia) in 2000.

METHODS

The case reports of 4 cases of imported VL are presented. They are cases 5-8 ever reported in the Czech Republic.

RESULTS

The infection manifested itself by fever, marked splenomegaly, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and rapid weight loss. The diagnosis was confirmed by the microscopic finding of amastigotes in punctate obtained from bone marrow, liver, spleen and, also, by serology. All the patients were successfully treated with amphotericin B.

CONCLUSION

Infection by VL should be considered when establishing the diagnosis not only in patient returning from endemic regions and show hepatosplenomegaly, fever, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Given the long incubation time, VL may be encountered also in foreigners who had lived in the above regions. Besides, the diagnosis of VL should also be considered in immunocompromised individuals. (Ref. 27.).