Severe visceral leishmaniasis and COVID-19 coinfection in an immunosuppressed patient

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Luciamáre Perinetti Alves Martins, Josianne Thomazini Fukasawa, Mirella Beni Balbino Ferreira Messias, Roberto Esteves Pires Castanho, Leticia Abrantes Andrade, Márcia Aparecida Sperança, Rodrigo Buzinaro Suzuki
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 2022
• Subjects: Visceral leishmaniasis; COVID-19; Immunosuppression; Pemphigus vulgaris; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic; Marilia
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/s1678-9946202264021; https://doaj.org/article/591b2bab4b2c47f7a47e74d21774d274

ABSTRACT Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an opportunistic disease in immunosuppressed individuals, who may present severe clinical conditions, such as the ones described in this patient. She lived in an endemic region for VL, and was possibly infected with L. (L.) infantum chagasi through the bite of a contaminated sand fly. This initial infection has triggered a pemphigus vulgaris condition by immunogenic proteins present in the mosquito's saliva. The immunosuppression caused by the use of high doses of corticosteroids to control the disease promoted a severe VL condition, with hepatosplenomegaly, thrombocytopenia and hemorrhages, requiring hospitalization and the onset of a subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Due to the intensity of clinical manifestations related to VL, aggravated by COVID-19, she died two days after admission to the Clinical Hospital of Marilia Medical School (HC–Famema).