Ultrasound Findings in Patients with Visceral Lieshmaniasis

Abstract

This study has been done in the tropical disease hospital in Omdurman to explain and record the U/S findings of liver, spleen and pancreas in patients with visceral lieshmania by using ultrasound machine (Aloka- 500), manufactured 2008. Using transabdominal (TA) convex probe 3.5MHz . 50 patients were enrolled in the study. The main object of this study is to identify the ultrasound findings regarding changes in liver, pancreas and spleen in Sudanese patients with VL. The U/S machine has been used as a tool to get these findings. The more common U/S findings in patients with VL are splenomegaly (84%), hepatomegaly (66%), hyperechoic liver (26%), dilated portal vein (26%) and ascites (28%). The less common findings are hypoechoic spleen (4%), shrinkage liver (2%) and focal lesion of spleen (2%). There is a significant relationship between ascites and thickening of GB wall. The study concluded that U/S scanning should be carried out in a complement with others laboratory tests for diagnosis of VL, thus fatal complications could be avoided.