Pathological Study of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Al-Diwaniya province

Abstract

In the present study, 42 patients were observed, as cutaneous leishmaniasis, from 1 September 2012 until the end of August 2013. They divided to 25 (595. %) males and 17 (40.5%) females, and the diagnosis was depend on clinical examination, pathological lesions and parasitic isolation. Lesions were classified depending on number, so the patients who have multiple lesions were (64.3%), while (35.7%) have single lesion, the number of lesions per patient ranged from one to 12 lesions. Most of the lesions were located on face (40.5%), but some lesions were on the face & hand (21.4%), while few were found in hand and back (2.4%). Histopathologicaly, the cutaneous lesions were observed; keratinized layer and epidermal cells were necrosed or not present over the ulcer, Skin biopsies were taken, fixed with formalin, sectioned, and stained with hematoxyline and eosin stain (H & E stain). Microscopic examination, showed accumulation of amastigote, inflammatory cells such as neutrophils and lymphocytes with macrophages engulf amastigotes. Eleven samples of aspirated blood were collected by fine needle, for making direct Giemsa-stained smears before the cultivation, 72.7% of the cases were positive to the presence of leishmania tropica. There are three culture media were used in this study, biphasic medium, NNN medium, and lock’s solution; 63.4% of cases were positive in NNN medium, and 72.7 % were positive in both of biphasic media and Lock’s solution.