Journal of Tropical Diseases and Parasitology ›› 2026, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (4): 246-253.doi: 10.20199/j.issn.1672-2302.2026.04.011

• CASE REPORT • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Hemophagocytic syndrome secondary to visceral leishmaniasis: a case report and literature review

ZHAI Chenda1,2(), BU Ruiping2,3, LIU Zeqi1,2, YANG Jing2()   

  1. 1 Graduate School of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, Hebei Province, China
    2 Hebei General Hospital
    3 Graduate School of Hebei Medical University
  • Received:2026-05-06 Online:2026-08-20 Published:2026-09-29
  • Contact: YANG Jing, E-mail: m13739764558_2@163.com

Abstract:

This article reports a case of hemophagocytic syndrome secondary to visceral leishmaniasis. The patient was a 39-year-old male who was admitted to the hospital due to fever lasting over 10 days, accompanied by splenomegaly and pancytopenia. Auxiliary laboratory examinations upon admission exhibited serum ferritin greater than 1 000 ng/mL, soluble interleukin-2 receptor elevated to 14 003.6 pg/mL, and natural killer cell activity decreased to 12.65%. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of peripheral blood detected Leishmania species with 182 951 RPM, and bone marrow smear examination revealed Leishmania donovani amastigotes, confirming the diagnosis of hemophagocytic syndrome secondary to visceral leishmaniasis. Following treatment with liposomal amphotericin B for injection combined with dexamethasone sodium phosphate injection, the patient improved, and was discharged, with a favorable outcome during follow-up. In this paper, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of this case, and reviewed the relevant literature to summarize the clinical pictures, diagnostic approaches, and treatment essentials of hemophagocytic syndrome secondary to visceral leishmaniasis, with an attempt to improve clinicians’ awareness of this disease.

Key words: Visceral leishmaniasis, Hemophagocytic syndrome, Diagnosis, Treatment

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