The pentavalent antimony sodium stibogluconate is the drug of choice in the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis. However, sodium stibogluconate can cause severe adverse effects; among them, cardiotoxic and hepatotoxic reactions stand out.1 We recently cared for a human immunodeficiency virusinfected patient with visceral leishmaniasis who developed acute pancreatitis early in the course of treatment with sodium stibogluconate.
Report of a Case.
A 34-year-old woman with human immunodeficiency virus infection was admitted to the hospital because of high-degree fever and malaise of 1 month's duration, without any focal symptom. On physical examination she had fever (40°C), and there were small lymph nodes in the laterocervical region, hepatomegaly (3 cm), and splenomegaly (6 cm). Laboratory tests disclosed the following values: hemoglobin, 7.0 g/L; leukocyte count, 1.82x109/L, with 1.32x109/L neutrophils and 0.15x109/L lymphocytes; platelets, 160x109/L; and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, 140 mm/h. Renal function was