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A case report of cutaneous leishmaniasis: a misleading clinical presentation

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Abstract

Background

The diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is often difficult because of the diversity of clinical presentations, its often-misleading appearance and the very long incubation period (time between the endemic stay and the onset of skin lesions).

Case

We report the case of an otherwise healthy 67-year-old man who presented with inflammatory skin lesions on the scalp and face for the past 7 years. The lesions were first mistaken as cutaneous sarcoidosis, mycobacterial infection, and cutaneous lymphoma. Finally, the diagnosis was made by RT-PCR analysis on a punch-biopsy specimen, which was positive for Leishmania infantum.

Discussion and conclusion

To date, the choice of treatment for complex cutaneous leishmaniases is based on the Leishmania species. Our patient successfully responded to liposomal amphotericin B.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Laurine Sacré, MD, for referral of the patient and the pathologists, Julie Lelotte, MD, Pascal Van Eeckout, MD, and Alessandra Camboni, MD, for their contributions to this case. We thank Mariana Andrade, MD, who provided editorial assistance. Compensation but no commercial funding was received for this purpose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium

    Corentine Vanlier, Liliane Marot & Marie Baeck

  2. Department of Anatomopathology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium

    Liliane Marot

  3. Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium

    Eva Laranaga, Jean-Cyr Yombi & Halil Yildiz

  4. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium

    Philippe D’abadie

Authors
  1. Corentine Vanlier
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  2. Liliane Marot
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  3. Eva Laranaga
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  4. Philippe D’abadie
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  5. Jean-Cyr Yombi
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  6. Halil Yildiz
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  7. Marie Baeck
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marie Baeck.

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Vanlier, C., Marot, L., Laranaga, E. et al. A case report of cutaneous leishmaniasis: a misleading clinical presentation. Infection 49, 177–180 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-020-01517-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-020-01517-1

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