Visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) in solid organ transplantation: report of five cases and review

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis is an infectious disease that occurs only rarely in recipients of solid organ grafts but is associated with an elevated mortality rate despite proper treatment. We report five cases diagnosed in our hospital. All the patients were men aged 30 to 60 years who had undergone kidney transplantation (3 patients), heart transplantation (1), or liver transplantation (1). Three of the patients died, one had multiple recurrences, and one developed post-kala-azar cutaneous leishmaniasis. We review the clinical features, treatments, and outcomes of 26 previously reported cases, pointing out the lower cure rate associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection.