Treatment of visceral leishmaniasis with intravenous pentamidine and oral fluconazole in an HIV-positive patient with chronic renal failure--a case report and brief review of the literature

Abstract

We report the case of an HIV-positive patient with visceral leishmaniasis and several relapses after treatment with the two first-line anti-leishmanial drugs, liposomal amphotericin B and miltefosine. End-stage renal failure occurred in 2007 when the patient was on long-term treatment with miltefosine. A relapse of leishmaniasis in 2008 was successfully treated with a novel combination regimen of intravenous pentamidine and oral fluconazole. Secondary prophylaxis with fluconazole monotherapy did not prevent parasitological relapse of leishmaniasis.