Korean J Parasitol.  2016 Dec;54(6):787-792. 10.3347/kjp.2016.54.6.787.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis of the Eyelids: A Case Series with Molecular Identification and Literature Review

• Mohammadpour I
• Motazedian MH
• Handjani F
• Hatam GR

• KMID: 2367420
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2016.54.6.787

Abstract

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a protozoan disease which is endemic in Iran. It is transmitted by the Phlebotomus sand fly. The eyelid is rarely involved possibly because the movement of the lids impedes the sand fly from biting the skin in this region. Here, we report 6 rare cases of eyelid CL. The patients were diagnosed by skin scraping, culture, and PCR from the lesions. Skin scraping examination showed Leishmania spp. amastigotes in the cytoplasm of macrophages. Culture examination was positive for Leishmania spp. PCR was positive for Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica. The lesions were disguised as basal cell carcinoma, chalazion, hordeolum, and impetigo. The patients were treated with intramuscular meglumine antimoniate (20 mg/kg/day) for at least 3 weeks. They showed a dramatic response, and the lesions almost completely disappeared. We emphasized the importance of clinical and diagnostic features of lesions, characterized the phylogenetic relationship of isolated parasites, and reviewed the literature on ocular leishmaniasis.

Keyword

Leishmania major; Leishmania tropica; cutaneous leishmaniasis; eyelid; PCR; Iran

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Basal Cell
Chalazion
Cytoplasm
Eyelids*
Hordeolum
Humans
Impetigo
Iran
Leishmania
Leishmania major
Leishmania tropica
Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous*
Macrophages
Meglumine
Parasites
Phlebotomus
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Psychodidae
Skin
Meglumine