Post Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis Following Treatment with 10 mg/kg of Single Dose AmBisome for Visceral Leishmaniasis in Bihar, India

In view of the significant role of Post kala-azar dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) patients in the transmission/recurrence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) outbreaks, control of PKDL is among the priorities. As the Single Dose AmBisome 10 mg/kg (SDA) became the obvious choice for the treatment of VL, therefore, in this study, 896 patients were included to explore the probability of developing PKDL. Among the treated patients, 30 (3.35%) of them found confirmed as PKDL with clinical symptoms. Out of the 30 patients, 53.33% male and 46.67% female patients had macular lesions respectively, with a median time (Interquartile range [IQR]) to development of 13.5 (9–23.5) and 23 (9-17) months following treatment. No, significant associations were established concerning any patient's demographics and clinical characteristics. However, with the patients presenting with confirmed PKDL, females were significantly younger than males. This study suggests the rate of PKDL appearance is directly associated with 10 mg/kg of SDA and therefore there is a need for more concerns regarding doses during treatment.