Jejunal function and pathology in visceral Leishmaniasis
Abstract
Small-intestinal function was studied in 10 patients with visceral leishmaniasis. Vitamin-A absorption was impaired in 7 and d-xylose in 1. In 5 of the 10 patients Leishmania were demonstrated in biopsy specimens of intestinal mucosa. Parasitised macrophages were present in villous tips and less commonly in the lamina propria and submucosa; a moderate inflammatory infiltrate was composed of lymphocytes and plasma cells. 2 patients had partial villous atrophy. There was no correlation between intensity of parasitisation and severity of malabsorption. After treatment with sodium stibogluconate there was a significant improvement in absorption of vitamin A and d-xylose, and biopsy specimens became normal. In 1 patient visceral leishmaniasis was thought to be the cause of chronic diarrhoea.
URI
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6136644http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/27231
Citation
Lancet. 1983 Aug 27;2(8348):476-9Publisher
University of Nairobi Faculty of medicine
Collections
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) [10378]