Leishmaniasis

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Antibodies	Leishmania panamensis - close-up	Leishmania panamensis on the foot	Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis, mexicana - lesion on the cheek	Leishmaniasis on the finger

Kala-azar

Antimony-containing compounds are the principal medications used to treat leishmaniasis. These include:

• Meglumine antimonate
• Sodium stibogluconate

Other drugs that may be used include:

• Pentamidine
• Amphotericin B

Plastic surgery may be required to correct disfigurement by destructive facial lesions (mucocutaneous leishmaniasis). Removal of the spleen (splenectomy) may be required in drug-resistant cases (visceral leishmaniasis).

Cure rates are high with antimony compounds. Treatment should be accomplished before damage to the immune system occurs. Marked disfigurement may develop with mucocutaneous leishmaniasis.

• Facial disfigurement
• Fatal infections resulting from damage to the immune system
• Hemorrhage

Contact your health care provider if you have symptoms suggestive of leishmaniasis following a visit to an area where Leishmania is endemic.

Review Date: 03/06/2006
Reviewed By: Monica Gandhi MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases,UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.