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Leishmaniasis - Symptom

Alternative Names

Kala-azar

Symptoms:

Systemic visceral infection in children usually begins suddenly with vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and cough. Adults usually have a fever for 2 weeks to 2 months, along with nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and loss of appetite. Weakness increases as the disease gets worse.

Other symptoms of systemic visceral leishmaniasis may include:

Cough (children)
Diarrhea (children)
Fever that persists for weeks; may come and go in cycles
Night sweats
Scaly, gray, dark, ashen skin
Thinning hair
Vague belly area (abdominal) discomfort
Vomiting (children)
Weight loss

Cutaneous leishmaniasis affects the skin and mucuous membranes. Symptoms may include:

Breathing difficulty
Skin sores (macule or papule)
Skin ulcer (forms at site of original sore); ulcer heals very slowly
Smaller lesions may form around the ulcer (satellite lesions)
Stuffy nose, runny nose, and nosebleeds
Swallowing difficulty
Ulcers and wearing away (erosion) of tissues on the mouth, tongue, gums, lips, nose, and inner nose

Signs and tests:

A physical exam may show signs of an enlarged spleen, liver, and lymph nodes. The patient may have a history of being bit by sandflies or being in an area known for leishmaniasis.

Tests that may be done to diagnose the condition include:

Biopsy of the spleen and culture to see if microorganisms grow
Bone marrow biopsy and culture to see if microorganisms grow
Direct agglutination assay
Indirect immunofluorescent antibody test
Lymph node biopsy and culture to see if microorganisms grow
Montenegro skin test
Skin biopsy

Other tests that may be done include:

Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis, mexicana - lesion on the cheek

Leishmaniasis on the finger

Leishmania panamensis on the foot

Leishmania panamensis - close-up

Reviewed last on: 10/30/2007
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Reithinger R. Cutaneous leishmaniasis. Lancet Infect Dis. Sep 2007; 7(9): 581-96.

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