Leishmaniasis

From Anvita Health Wiki

Contents 1 More Specific Terms 2 Introduction 3 Epidemiology 4 Laboratory 5 Management 6 More General Terms 7 Additional Terms 8 References

More Specific Terms

• cutaneous leishmaniasis (oriental sore)
• mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (espundia)
• visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar)

Introduction

• A disease of the reticuloendothelial system caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania.

Epidemiology

• transmitted by female sandflies
• animal reservoir

Laboratory

• (also see visceral leishmaniasis)
• light microscopy for visualization of amastigotes in smears, imprints or biopsies
• growth of promastigotes in culture

• Novy-MacNeal-Nicolle's medium
• Schneider's Drosophila media supplemented with fetal calf serum
• cultures show promastigotes in 2-5 days, but should be held for 4 weeks

• amastigotes

• 2-4 um in size
• delicate cytoplasm, a nucleus & a kinetoplast
• may appear smaller due to shrinkage with fixation
• Leishmania have a kinetoplast, but no cell wall
• distingush from Histoplasma capsulatum & Toxoplasma gondii

• immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibodies is species-specific
• polymerase-chain reaction ( PCR) is species-specific

Management

• sodium stibogluconate

• available from CDC (404 639-3670)
• 20 mg Sb[V]/kg IM/ IV for 20 days (cutaneous) & 28 days visceral leishmaniasis

• amphotericin B
• pentamidine

• (also see cutaneous, mucocutaneous & visceral leishmaniasis)

More General Terms

• protozoan infection

Additional Terms

• Leishmania

References

1. Clinical Diagnosis & Management by Laboratory Methods, 19th edition, J.B. Henry (ed), W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, PA. 1996, pg 1266-68
2. DeGowin & DeGowin's Diagnostic Examination, 6th edition, RL DeGowin (ed), McGraw Hill, NY 1994, pg 902-3
3. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 14th ed. Fauci et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1998, pg 1189-93

Leishmaniasis