Two cases of cutaneous Leishmaniasis presenting to the emergency department as chronic ulcers

With the increasing numbers of travelers and immigrants coming to the United States from tropical areas where Leishmaniasis is endemic, it is important to be familiar with its common cutaneous manifestations. Leishmaniasis is a parasitic infection caused by the obligate intracellular protozoa Leishmania and is transmitted by the bite of the sandfly. It can appear as a nonhealing lesion on exposed skin in patients and is often misdiagnosed, delaying treatment. We present two cases of patients who presented to the Emergency Department with chronic, nonhealing ulcers that were ultimately found to have Leishmaniasis.