[Cutaneous leishmaniasis following military deployment to Iraq]

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a parasitic disease of the tropics and subtropics, transmitted by bites of infected female phlebotonine sandflies. Although CL lesions are normally self-healing they may be disfiguring or potentially disabling, and in field conditions may become secondarily infected; clinical intervention is appropriate in these circumstances. We describe two soldiers normally stationed in British Forces Germany who following deployment to Iraq presented with Leishmania tropica infection. The primary prevention of CL is discussed, together with the epidemiology of the disease, and its treatment under deployed conditions. Old World CL rarely requires aggressive antimonial terapy. Antiiosis with or without curettage is a simple, safe and effective field treatment.