Broncho-alveolar lavage in a retro-positive male.

Leishmania is a protozoan parasite that can cause cutaneous as well as visceral disease in humans. Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease and is transmitted by the bite of infected sandflies. A definitive diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis can be obtained by microscopic identification of the organisms in smears or tissue sections, culture of the parasite or by DNA detection methods. Leishmania has been rarely demonstrated in broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL), there being only a few case reports in the literature. Herein, we present a case of a young retro-positive male with fever and cough, in whom a diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis could be established on BAL cytology. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.