Severe post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis successfully treated with miltefosine in an Ethiopian HIV patient

Abstract

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a neglected tropical disease characterized by a dermatosis which often appears after successful treatment of visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania donovani. PKDL treatment options are few and have severe limitations. In East-Africa, the standard treatment of PKDL is with daily painful potentially toxic sodium stibogluconate injections, administered for a prolonged duration of 30-60 days. In the Indian subcontinent, PKDL is mainly treated with miltefosine, a safer orally administered drug. However, in East-Africa, there is very limited experience in the use of miltefosine for treatment of severe PKDL, with only one published case report. Here we report a severe PKDL case in an Ethiopian HIV patient successfully treated with oral miltefosine (100mg/day for 28 days). Miltefosine was efficacious, safe and well tolerated, suggesting that it can play an important role in the treatment of severe PKDL also in East-African patients. Further research is warranted.

Keywords: East-Africa; Ethiopia; HIV; Miltefosine; Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis; Treatment.