CLINICAL ASPECTS OF CO-INFECTION BETWEEN HIV AND VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS

Abstract

The aim of this study is to describe the clinical profile of VL cases coinfected with HIV. A search for previous studies was carried out on the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Regional Portal of the Virtual Health Library (BVS) and National Library of Medicine (PubMed) platforms, considering the descriptors “hiv” and “leishmaniasis”. Articles published in the last 10 years (2013-2023) in English and Portuguese, with open access, and articles whose studies were of the controlled clinical trial, observational study or case report type were included. Articles that did not address the clinical profile of coinfection between the diseases were excluded, resulting in 25 articles analyzed. In the studies analyzed, a prevalent atypical clinical presentation with gastrointestinal symptoms, presence of disseminated skin lesions and typical symptoms of VL such as fever, hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia was observed; however, a small proportion of asymptomatic individuals were found. Immune deficiency, together with the synergy of HIV with VL, may be one of the main factors for the atypical clinical presentation and severity of the condition, contributing to recurrence and mortality. Therefore, it is essential that in areas endemic for both diseases, physicians treating immunosuppressed patients include VL in their differential diagnosis for better management and treatment.