Many faces of cutaneous leishmaniasis

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Infectious Diseases
• Parasitology

Background:

• Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is endemic in Şanlıurfa province.
• The clinical spectrum of CL can include atypical presentations.
• Understanding these atypical forms is crucial for accurate diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of atypical clinical presentations of CL in Şanlıurfa.
• To identify and document novel atypical CL lesion types.
• To highlight the diagnostic challenges posed by CL's mimicry of other conditions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 1751 CL patients diagnosed between October 2019 and August 2022.
• Inclusion criteria: patients with atypical clinical presentations of CL.
• Data collected from Şanlıurfa Oriental Boil Diagnosis and Treatment Center.

Main Results:

• Atypical CL presentations were observed in 12.1% of patients.
• Common atypical forms included lupoid, erysipeloid, impetiginous, and eczematous lesions.
• New atypical presentations identified: dermatofibroma-like, Kaposi sarcoma-like, and others.

Conclusions:

• CL exhibits a wide range of atypical clinical presentations, mimicking various infectious, inflammatory, and neoplastic diseases.
• Dermatofibroma-like, Kaposi sarcoma-like, dental sinus-like, juvenile xanthogranuloma-like, mastocytoma-like, and epidermoid cyst-like presentations are newly defined.
• Clinicians should consider CL in the differential diagnosis of persistent, non-healing lesions, especially in endemic regions.