Assessment of allopurinol plus meglumine antimoniate in the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in patients infected with HIV.

We report on 11 patients with HIV infection and visceral leishmaniasis and who were treated with meglumine antimoniate plus allopurinol for 3 weeks (six patients) or 4 weeks (five patients). Clinical and parasitological cures were achieved in four of the five patients treated for 4 weeks and in one of the six patients treated for 3 weeks. Only one patient developed a severe maculopapular rash. Allopurinol plus meglumine antimoniate was found to be a safe combination of drugs for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in patients infected with HIV. The optimal length of this treatment is unknown but a course of at least 4 weeks' duration would appear to be necessary for obtaining parasitological cure in most cases.