LEISHMANIASIS OF THE TONGUE TREATED WITH LIPOSOMAL AMPHOTERICIN-B

A 66-year-old man, immunosuppressed because of a lymphoma and with severe ischaemic heart disease and proteinuria, presented with a swelling on the tongue due to leishmaniasis. His travel history suggested that he had acquired the infection in the Mediterranean area some years earlier. He was treated with liposomal amphotericin B for 21 days and made a good recovery despite a temporary deterioration in renal function. Oral lesions are a rare manifestation of Old World leishmaniasis. Liposomal amphotericin B is a novel treatment that may be well tolerated when there is concern about the toxicity of more established drugs. © 1994 The British Society for the Study of Infection.