Case Report
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World J Clin Infect Dis. May 25, 2013; 3(2): 20-24
Published online May 25, 2013. doi: 10.5495/wjcid.v3.i2.20
Liver biopsy for visceral leishmaniasis diagnosis in pregnancy: report of 2 cases
Talles Bazeia Lima, Clarissa Ribeiro Villar, Maria Aparecida Marchesan Rodrigues, Júlio Pinheiro Baima, Fábio da Silva Yamashiro, Letícia Campos Franzoni, Carlos Antonio Caramori, Giovanni Faria Silva, Fernando Gomes Romeiro, Lígia Yukie Sassaki
Talles Bazeia Lima, Clarissa Ribeiro Villar, Júlio Pinheiro Baima, Fábio da Silva Yamashiro, Letícia Campos Franzoni, Carlos Antonio Caramori, Giovanni Faria Silva, Fernando Gomes Romeiro, Lígia Yukie Sassaki, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Botucatu School of Medicine, Sao Paulo, 18618-970, Brazil
Maria Aparecida Marchesan Rodrigues, Department of Pathology, Botucatu School of Medicine, Sao Paulo, 18618-970, Brazil
Author contributions: Lima TB and Villar CR designed the study, managed the patients and wrote the manuscript; Rodrigues MAM performed the histological analysis; Baima JP, Yamashiro FS, Franzoni LC, Caramori CA and Silva GF participated in data collection and manuscript writing; Romeiro FG and Sassaki LY managed the patients, wrote and reviewed the article.
Correspondence to: Talles Bazeia Lima, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Botucatu School of Medicine, Rubiao Junior District S/N, Sao Paulo, 18618-970, Brazil. talles.lima@yahoo.com.br
Telephone: +55-14-96095577 Fax: +55-14-38822238
Received: January 20, 2013
Revised: April 19, 2013
Accepted: April 28, 2013
Published online: May 25, 2013
Core Tip

Core tip: Visceral leishmaniasis, which has many severe presentations, is an endemic disease found in many countries around the world, especially in South America, where Brazil is the most affected country. We herein present two cases of this disease affecting women during pregnancy, when the diagnosis and management can be very difficult. In both patients, the usual method of diagnosis failed so liver biopsy was the only option to make the correct diagnosis. Therefore, liver biopsy may be considered in special situations when severe visceral leishmaniasis is suspected, as in the cases herein presented.