Foamy histiocytes in a patient with visceral leishmaniasis after treatment with liposomal amphotericin B.

A seven-year-old patient was admitted to our hospital with the complaints of fever, malaise, and abdominal distention. In the bone marrow aspiration smears, leishmania amastigotes were observed. The patient was diagnosed as having visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and treated with liposomal amphotericin B (L-AMB). The authors report their observation of foamy histiocytes seen in the bone marrow aspiration smears of the patient with VL after L-AMB treatment. This effect of L-AMB needs to be recognized, since L-AMB may represent a further condition in addition to the other diseases that are associated with foamy histiocytes in the bone marrow.