Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Parasitology 1735-7020 19 1 2024 02 28 28 37 EN Mahmoud Khodabandeh Department of Infectious Diseases, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2. Children’s Medical Center, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Tehran, Iran 3. Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Medical Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Elham Moradian Children’s Medical Center, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Tehran, Iran Maedeh Sarvari School of Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran Mahsa Soti Khiabani 1. Children’s Medical Center, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Tehran, Iran 2. Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Medical Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2023 07 29 2023 12 10 Background: Black disease, also known as visceral leishmaniasis (VL), is a parasitic illness caused by various Leishmania species. The risk of morbidity and mortality increases with delayed diagnosis and treatment. Early VL diagnosis and fast appropriate treatment are critical issues in endemic areas.  Methods: This study was a retrospective cross-sectional study to investigate the diagnostic and therapeutic course of patients admitted with the diagnosis of VL in the Children's Medical Center (CMC) Hospital, Tehran, Iran. All cases of VL in patients under the age of 18 hospitalized between the years 2012 to 2022 were enrolled. Results: Twenty-seven patients were enrolled with an average age of 28.13 months with the majority of females (51.8%). Common clinical signs were fever (96.2%) and splenomegaly (92.59%). However, lymphadenopathy was rare. The largest number of patients was from Tehran Province, followed by Ardabil, Khuzestan, Gilan, and Alborz provinces. The most common hematological abnormalities were anemia (85.1%) and thrombocytopenia (44.4%). In accordance with the treatment strategy, liposomal amphotericin B and amphotericin B deoxycholate were given to 11 and 5 patients, respectively. Eleven of them received glucantime. The average length of hospitalization for liposomal amphotericin B was 15.36 ± 12.49 days. In comparison with glucantime (18.38 ±10.26 days) and amphotericin B deoxycholate (20.20± 6.18 days), liposomal amphotericin B group hospitalization was shorter than others were. Conclusion: VL should be included in the differential diagnosis of any child who presents with fever, splenomegaly, and anemia. Concerning the treatment strategy in this study, liposomal amphotericin B had more efficiency and shorter hospitalization duration. https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/view/4012 https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/download/4012/1338