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Chronic Hepatitis B and Leishmania Coinfection
Tuna Demirdal1, Ümmü Sena Sarı, Salih Atakan Nemli
1İzmir Kâtip Çelebi Üniversitesi, Atatürk Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Enfeksiyon Hastalıkları ve Klinik Mikrobiyoloji Kliniği, İzmir, Türkiye. ummusenasari@gmail.com.
Turkiye Parazitolojii Dergisi
|October 17, 2017
Summary
Visceral leishmaniasis, a life-threatening disease, mimics chronic liver disease symptoms. This case highlights its importance in liver disease diagnosis, especially in endemic areas.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Hepatology
- Parasitology
Background:
- Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a severe, endemic parasitic infection.
- Untreated VL poses a significant mortality risk.
- VL presents with symptoms overlapping chronic liver disease (CLD).
Observation:
- This study details a case of VL coincidentally diagnosed via liver biopsy.
- The patient had a known chronic hepatitis B infection.
- Clinical presentation included fever, weight loss, hepatosplenomegaly, and pancytopenia.
Findings:
- Liver biopsy revealed visceral leishmaniasis in a patient with chronic hepatitis B.
- This case underscores the diagnostic challenge of VL mimicking CLD.
- Parasitic infection was confirmed as the underlying cause.
Implications:
- Visceral leishmaniasis must be included in the differential diagnosis of chronic liver diseases.
- Early diagnosis of VL is crucial for effective treatment and improved outcomes.
- This finding emphasizes the need for broader diagnostic considerations in hepatology.