Clinical and laboratory evaluation of patients with visceral leishmaniasis undergoing different therapeutic regimens of liposomal amphotericin B

Abstract

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is an infectious disease caused by protozoa of the Leishmania genus and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected female Lutzomyia sandflies. Several treatment protocols for VL are available, including the utilization of liposomal amphotericin B. Nevertheless, the optimal protocol with the minimal adverse effects remains uncertain. In this context, the present study aims to assess the clinical and laboratory outcomes of patients with VL undergoing two distinct therapeutic regimens of liposomal amphotericin B. A cross-sectional study was conducted to analyze data from the medical records of patients diagnosed with VL between 2015 and 2019 in an endemic area in the northern region of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. All patients in the study were predominantly under the age of 10 years, with 70.4% being male (19 cases). In terms of clinical conditions, fever was present in 92.3% of cases, while splenomegaly and hepatomegaly occurred in 100% of patients. No significant differences were observed between the treatment regimens of liposomal amphotericin B at 4 mg (kg day^-1)^-1 for 5 days and 3 mg (kg day^-1)^-1 for 7 days. The data suggest that patients who received liposomal amphotericin B for both 5 and 7 days exhibited no clinically or laboratory differences compared to those who utilized liposomal amphotericin B for a five-day duration.