[Visceral leishmaniasis with an unusually long incubation time]

A 25-year-old woman of Yugoslavian origin came to Germany two years before and did not leave Germany since this time. She developed a phlebothrombosis during pregnancy which was treated surgically and with subsequent heparinisation. The pregnancy had to be terminated by section because of abnormal liver functions and increased blood pressure. These values returned to normal within two months. Further tests again showed raised liver function tests (GOT 57 U/l, GPT 71 U/l) and antibodies against smooth muscle and actin. Autoimmune hepatitis was diagnosed and prednisolone given (100 mg daily). In the subsequent 4 months the patient progressively lost more weight and a pancytopenia developed. Suspected of having a systemic haematological syndrome she was admitted to hospital.

Physical examination was unremarkable except for hepato- and splenomegaly (spleen 15.6 cm in diameter by sonography). Laboratory tests showed hypergammaglobulinaemia (50 g/l, 53%), increased WBC count, as well as decreased haemoglobin concentration and platelet count (900 WBC/microliter, Hb 10.9 g/l, 146,000 platelets/microliter). Bone marrow puncture unexpectedly revealed a large number of Leishmania donovani.

Five-valent antimony was administered (sodium stibogluconate 20 mg/kg daily intravenously as bolus for 14 days). She has been free of symptoms since then (follow-up period of one year).

Visceral leishmaniasis is a rare disease in Europe. Incubation periods of several years have been reported and the infection can be easily mistaken for other chronic liver disease, in this case for an autoimmune hepatitis. Leishmaniasis should be included in the differential diagnosis of unclear liver disease if there is a suggestive history (country of origin or journey into an endemic area).