Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Riyadh region: four-year study of the epidemiologic and clinical features

A retrospective study of 11,802 patient records with cutaneous leishmaniasis in Riyadh region was conducted during the period 1987 to 1990. The following findings resulted from the study. The incidence rate declined from 244.2 to 106.5 per 100,000 population. The infection was mainly among non-Saudi men in their working years. The Saudis represented 33% of the total number of patients. The Saudi patients were mainly young, below 15 years of age, with almost equal men/women distribution. The non-Saudis were found to have more multiple lesions; 65% of them had three or more lesions compared with 10% in Saudis. The lesions were mainly on the exposed parts of the body such as the face (20%), neck (3.3%), upper limbs (23.3%), and lower limbs (15%). Agricultural areas such as Riyadh vicinity, Al-Kharj, Shagraa, and Al-Koweeya showed consistently the highest foci of infections. The infections were highest in winter and lowest in summer.