Demographic Characteristics besides Clinical and Laboratory Manifestations of Children with Visceral Leishmaniasis in Rasht, Northern Iran

Abstract

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (Kala-azar) is an inherently dangerous and progressive disease that can be seen in many parts of the world, including Iran. Therefore, we decided to conduct this study on children with Kala-azar in Rasht-Iran.
 Methods: In this descriptive study, the hospital records of all children with Kala-azar disease admitted to 17 Shahrivar Hospital, Rasht- Iran from 2009 to 2021 were reviewed. Required information were collected from patients' records and descriptive statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 24 statistical software.
 Results: A total of 22 children with visceral leishmaniasis were admitted to 17 Shahrivar Hospital during the study period. The average age of the children was 2.93 ± 3.32 years. Most of them (59.1%) were boys and lived in the foothills (59.1%). The most common season for children to get the disease was spring (45.5%), and the average duration of the disease until hospitalization was 16.5 ± 13.54 days. In this study, the most common clinical manifestations included fever (90.9%), splenomegaly (77.3%), hepatomegaly (50%), weakness and restlessness (27.3%), and vomiting (18.2%). The most common laboratory findings were anemia (90.9%), leukopenia (59.1%), increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (75%), and increased C-reactive protein (CRP) (75%). 72.7% of the children were treated with liposomal amphotericin and others with glucantime, which were all successful.
 Conclusion: The results of our studies were consistent with most studies in Iran and other countries. These findings can help in the diagnosis and management of children with Kala-azar and better control of the disease in the province.