Neurologic Changes in Visceral Leishmaniasis

Faisal A. Hashim Leishmaniasis Research Group, National Research Council, Department of Physiology and Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

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Ammar E. Ahmed Leishmaniasis Research Group, National Research Council, Department of Physiology and Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

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M. El Hassan Leishmaniasis Research Group, National Research Council, Department of Physiology and Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

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Murtada H. El Mubarak Leishmaniasis Research Group, National Research Council, Department of Physiology and Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

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Hashim Yagi Leishmaniasis Research Group, National Research Council, Department of Physiology and Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

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El Neim Ibrahim Leishmaniasis Research Group, National Research Council, Department of Physiology and Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

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Mohammed S. Ali Leishmaniasis Research Group, National Research Council, Department of Physiology and Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.1995.52.149
Volume/Issue:
Volume 52: Issue 2
Page(s):
149–154
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Neurologic changes in visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are rarely reported. From January 1992 to April 1993, 111 patients with VL were seen at Soba University Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan. Fifty-two (46%) patients had neurologic symptoms or signs; the most common symptom was a sensation of burning feet. Four patients had foot drop. Five patients had deafness and one patient had multiple cranial nerves palsies. None of our patients had vitamin deficiency or any of the other known causes of neuropathy. Nerve conduction studies in 15 patients showed evidence of axonal degeneration and demyelination, which were confirmed by histopathology and electron microscopy of nerve biopsies. There was no direct parasitic infection of the nerve and there was no neuritis. In most patients, the sensory symptoms disappeared within two weeks in most of our patients after specific anti-leishmanial treatment. Motor recovery was much slower. Audiographic studies in five patients with deafness showed it to be sensory-neural. Hearing returned to normal after treatment with sodium stibogluconate. Further studies are needed to define the etiology of the nerve pathology in patients with VL.
Copyright:
Copyright © 1995 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 1995
Published Online:
Feb 1995
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
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