CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS: A CASE SERIES AND NARRATIVE REVIEW

Objective: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a climate-sensitive disease; changes in temperature, precipitation, and humidity levels can affect sandflies and reservoir hosts by altering their distribution, survival time, and population size. This article elaborates on the diagnostic challenges, treatment process and follow-up of a series of cutaneous leishmaniasis cases.

Cases: This case series comprises a total of six distinct cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis referred to our institution. Three of the individuals were female and four were male. The patients were diagnosed via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), punch biopsy, PAS/EZN staining, and blood smear. Glucantime treatment was initiated in all patients. Our institution has granted ethics committee approval, and informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Conclusion: Although the microorganism responsible for leishmaniasis has been identified for over a century, the disease remains a significant public health concern in many countries, particularly in developing nations. It ranks second in importance after malaria among parasitic diseases due to the difficulty of both treatment and control. In recent years, patients diagnosed with cutaneous leishmaniasis among refugees migrating from Syria to our country have caused an increase in the disease in our country and affected epidemiological data.