Abstract
Golden hamsters inoculated with Leishmania donovani developed interstitial pneumonitis. Three developmental phases were characterized: exudative, cellular and fibrotic. From the sequence of events, a relationship between the types of cellular proliferation and the appearance of fibrosis could be established. The participation of septal interstitial cells with lipid inclusions (ICLI) in the process and their possible role in the development of fibrosis was demonstrated.