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Utility of lymph node aspiration in the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in Sudan | Journal Article / Research | MSF Science Portal
Journal Article
|Research

Utility of lymph node aspiration in the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in Sudan

Babiker ZOE, Davidson RN, Mazinda CS, Kipngetich S, Ritmeijer KKD
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Abstract
We evaluated lymph node aspiration (LNA) as a simple diagnostic procedure for visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Lymph node aspiration was compared with the direct agglutination test (DAT) using a diagnostic titer > or = 1:6,400 in 7,880 suspected VL patients in eastern Sudan. Compared with DAT, LNA had a sensitivity of 65.1% (95% confidence interval = 63.5-66.6%). Parasite density in LNA correlated strongly with DAT titers (P < 0.0001), and low parasite density accounted for 78.1% of positive LNA results with DAT titers < 1:6,400 (n = 782). Risk factors predictive of a positive LNA result were an age of 1-29 years, male sex, a hemoglobin level < 10.0 g/dL, a DAT titer > or = 1:800, and a location with a higher prevalence of VL. Lymph node and splenic aspirations were similarly accurate as tests of cure after treatment of 50 VL patients in southern Sudan. Pre-treatment LNA results were negative in 20 cases of severe post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis.

Countries

Sudan

Subject Area

leishmaniasis

Languages

English
Published Date
01 Apr 2007
PubMed ID
17426171
Journal
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume | Issue | Pages
Volume 76, Issue 4, Pages 689-693