Open AccessAcute erythroid toxicity in visceral leishmaniasis: A rare complication of antimonial therapy
Author(s) -
Sunita Sharma,
Priya Malhan,
Mukta Pujani,
Bimbadhar Rath
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
indian journal of pathology and microbiology/indian journal of pathology and microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.217
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 0974-5130
pISSN - 0377-4929
DOI - 10.4103/0377-4929.43757
Subject(s) - sodium stibogluconate , medicine , complication , neutropenia , bone marrow , toxicity , leishmaniasis , leukopenia , pharmacology , gastroenterology , surgery , immunology , visceral leishmaniasis
The spectrum of side-effects of sodium stibogluconate is well described, however, little is known regarding the acute erythroid toxicity caused by this drug. We hereby present a case with this unusual complication of antimonial therapy. A 6-year-old male with leishmaniasis was started on parenteral sodium stibogluconate. During the course of treatment, his hemoglobin (Hb) dropped from 7.2 g/dl to 3.5 g/dl. Bone-marrow aspirate showed karyorrhexis in many erythroid precursors with several Leishmania donovanii bodies. Sodium stibogluconate was stopped and amphotericin-B was started. Four days after the cessation of the antimonials, the patient's Hb improved to 5 gm/dl with a corrected reticulocyte count of 10% indicating bone-marrow erythroid regeneration. The exact mechanism of this acute erythroid toxicity of sodium stibogluconate remains unexplored.