Fine needle aspiration biopsy of spleen in kala-azar

Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of spleen was done in 88 suspected cases of Kala-azar. Leishmania donovani (LD) bodies were demonstrated in 56 cases (63.7%) and malarial parasites in 2 (2.3%) while one (1.1%) had picture of chronic myeloid leukemia and another (1.1%) showed acid fast bacilli (AFB) on Ziehl Neelsen staining. Thirty two cases (36.4%), where LD bodies were not found, were subjected to bone marrow examination and none showed LD bodies. There were no complications after FNAB even though 6 patients were having epistaxis. FNAB of spleen is a simple, economical, safe and reliable diagnostic procedure which can be adopted even in remote areas.