Primary Lip Leishmaniasis-Report of 4 Cases from a Non-endemic Region of Kashmir Valley of North India and Review of Literature
Peerzada Sajad *
Department of Dermatology, STD and Leprosy, Government Medical College, Srinagar, India
Shagufta Rather
Department of Dermatology, STD and Leprosy, Government Medical College, Srinagar, India
Iffat Hassan
Department of Dermatology, STD and Leprosy, Government Medical College, Srinagar, India
Waseem Qureshi
Registrar Academics, Government Medical College, Srinagar, India
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by an intracellular protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania and transmitted by the bite of a female sandfly(phlebotomus). The clinical spectrum of leishmaniasis ranges from a self-resolving cutaneous ulcer to a mutilating mucocutaneous disease and even to a lethal systemic illness. Therapy has long been a challenge in the more severe forms of the disease, and it is made more difficult by the emergence of drug resistance.Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a common tropical dermatoses with diverse clinical presentations. At times, it may appear in an unusual shape or at an unusual site and thus cause a diagnostic challenge.
Primary lip mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) is now a common presentation from non- endemic areas, and is commonly being encountered in old world/non-endemic areas now. Lip leishmaniasis, as cutaneous type of leishmaniasis not as part of mucocutaneous type, has been infrequently mentioned in the medical literature [1,2].
A few cases of leishmaniasis of lip have been described in literature. The description of cases of leishmaniasis solely involving the lip from India is rare [3].
We hereby describe four cases of lip leishmaniasis from Kashmir, a non-endemic area for the disease who were successfully treated with sodium stibogluconate (SSG).
Keywords: CL-Cutaneous leishmaniasis, lip leishmaniasis, ML-mucosal leishmaniasis, SSG-sodium stibogluconate, non-endemic area