Leishmaniasis: Symptoms, Complaints, Signs

The following symptoms and complaints may indicate visceral leishmaniasis (VL) (kala-azar):

  • Sudden onset with high fever
  • Increasingly reduced general condition
  • Anemia (anemia) (due toaffection of the bone marrow: pancytopenia (synonym: tricytopenia): deficiency in all three cell series of hematopoiesis: leukocytopenia, anemia and thrombocytopenia)).
  • Diarrhea (diarrhea)
  • Possibly patchy dark pigmentation of the skin (“Kala Azar” = black skin).
  • Hepatosplenomegaly (liver and spleen enlargement).
  • Hyper-γ-globulinemia (hypergammaglobulinemia; increased levels of gamma globulins in the blood).
  • Cachexia (emaciation; severe emaciation).
  • Lymphadenopathy (lymph node enlargement).
  • Pancytopenia (synonym: tricytopenia) – deficiency in all three cell series of hematopoiesis.
  • B-symptomatics*

* B-Symptomatics

  • Severe night sweats (wet hair, soaked sleepwear).
  • Unexplained, persistent or recurrent fever (> 38 °C).
  • Unintentional weight loss (> 10% percent of body weight within 6 months).

Visceral leishmaniasis is usually associated with triad:

  1. (Hepato)splenomegaly (liver/spleen enlargement).
  2. Pancytopenia (synonym: tricytopenia: deficiency in all three cell series of hematopoiesis: leukocytopenia (number of leukocytes/white blood cells too low), anemia (anemia), and thrombocytopenia (number of platelets/platelets too low)); and
  3. Increase in γ-globulins

The following symptoms and complaints may indicate cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL):

  • Small blue-red papule (“oriental bump”) – it appears weeks to months after the bite
    • Enlarges over time, becoming a nodular plaque (“plate-like” substance proliferation of the skin elevating above the skin level)
    • Central ulceration (ulceration) – ulcer with raised edge wall, which is also called “volcano sign”; size of the ulcer (ulcer) is between 1 and 5 cm
    • Is usually localized on the face or extremities
    • Heals spontaneously (by itself) scarred after 9-15 months

The following symptoms and complaints may indicate mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL):

  • Small blue-red papule as in cutaneous leishmaniasis.
  • Necrotizing mucosal changes (local cell death) on the nose and rhinopharynx (nasopharynx) with evtl.ausgedehnt Destruktionen (destruction); also other mucous membranes such as those of the genitals, the mouth as well as the larynx may be affected; the disease is chronically progressive.