ABSTRACT

Leishmaniasis is a reticuloendothelial system disease that mostly observed before the age of 5. Visceral infection causes long-standing fever, weight loss, weakness, pancytopenia, and hepatosplenomegaly. Leishmania infantum is responsible for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Turkey. We present a case of hemophagocytic syndrome due to Leishmania infection diagnosed with an immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT). Leishmania amastigotes were not observed on bone marrow aspiration. We consider that IFAT is very important for parasite detection in the diagnosis of VL in children, particularly when amastigotes are not obtained on bone marrow aspiration.

Keywords: IFAT, leishmaniasis, hemophagocytic syndrome