Cutaneous leishmaniasis: new dermoscopic findings

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a globally prevalent parasitic skin infection.
• Delayed or inaccurate diagnosis of CL can lead to disease spread, increased morbidity, and drug resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify specific dermoscopic features of CL.
• To enhance the accuracy of clinical diagnosis for cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Main Methods:

• Dermoscopic evaluation of 145 lesions across 102 patients diagnosed with CL.
• Analysis of lesion types including papules, nodulo-ulcerative lesions, plaques, and nodules.

Main Results:

• Common dermoscopic findings included generalized erythema (100%), yellow tears (58%), crust/ulcer (51%), white starburst-like patterns (27%), and ovoid salmon-colored structures (19%).
• Irregular linear vascular patterns (78%) and tree-like vascular patterns (53%) were most frequent among observed vascular structures.

Conclusions:

• Yellow tears, white starburst-like patterns, and salmon-colored ovoid structures are potentially specific indicators for CL.
• Dermoscopy is a practical, non-invasive diagnostic tool for CL in endemic regions.