Departamento de Cirurgia Pediátrica, Santa Casa de Franca, Franca, SP.
Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2012 Feb;45(1):130-1. doi: 10.1590/s0037-86822012000100027.
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as Kala-azar, is a systemic infection caused by a protozoan (Leishmania) and, in its classic form, is a serious illness associated with malnutrition, anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, infectious processes and coagulopathies. The effect of splenectomy in patients with visceral leishmaniasis is not well defined; however, it is known that the spleen is the largest reservoir of infected cells belonging to the reticulo endothelial system. Therefore, the surgical procedure is an option for the debulking of parasites, providing a cure for refractory VL and minimizing the complications of hypersplenism.
内脏利什曼病（VL），又称黑热病，是一种由原生动物（利什曼原虫）引起的系统性感染，在其典型形式中，是一种与营养不良、贫血、肝脾肿大、感染过程和凝血功能障碍相关的严重疾病。脾切除术对内脏利什曼病患者的疗效尚未明确界定；然而，众所周知，脾脏是属于网状内皮系统的最大感染细胞库。因此，手术是一种去除寄生虫的方法，可以治愈难治性内脏利什曼病，并最大限度地减少脾功能亢进的并发症。
