Derm News: 2007.5(10)

Periocular involvement in cutaneous leishmaniasis

Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, February 2007;21(2):214-218
M Durdu, S Gökçe, M Bagirova, M Yalaz, AM Allahverdiyev, S Uzun
ABSTRACT

Objective

Although cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) occurs mostly in the facial area, periocular involvement accounts for 2-5% of the facial lesions. CL lesions localized in the periocular region can easily be confused with various other diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of periocular involvement in CL in the Çukurova region of Turkey, as well as the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and methods of treatment of this disease.

Methods

Between December 1998 and December 2004, patients who were diagnosed with CL were evaluated prospectively with respect to periocular involvement.

Results

From the 2066 patients evaluated with CL, 2622 lesions were identified. In 59 (2.9%) of these patients, a total of 66 (2.5%) lesions were located in the periocular area. Thirty-two (48.5%) of these lesions were of the papular type, 15 (22.7%) the nodulo-ulcerative type, 10 (15.2%) the plaque type, and nine (13.6%) the nodular type. Dacryocystitis was identified in four patients with periocular involvement. Over the follow-up period, no ocular or periocular deformities or complications developed in these patients.

Conclusions

Patients suspected of CL should be evaluated and treated early in the course of their disease to prevent any permanent ocular or periocular deformities.

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The Derm News service provided by the Editorial Consultants of Skin Therapy Letter^© and its founding editor Dr. Stuart Maddin.