Clinical, Parasitological, and Anatomopathological Characteristics of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Cases at a Tunisian Hospital

Introduction: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most common vector-borne disease in Tunisia. Confirmation of the diagnosis is based on direct examination (DE) of the dermal fluid, supplemented, if necessary, by PCR. Occasionally, differential diagnoses of CL require anatomopathological examination. Objective: The aim was to study the clinical features and report the results of different diagnostic methods of cases of CL diagnosed in a Tunisian university hospital. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that included patients followed at the dermatology department of Charles-Nicolle Hospital for CL, retained in view of parasitological and/or anatomopathological and/or molecular arguments. Results: Among 120 patients consulting for suspected CL, the diagnosis was confirmed in 45 of them. In 5 cases, LC was discovered incidentally by pathological examination. In all, 50 cases were selected. Women were statistically more affected than men (p=0.001). The average age was 35. The average duration of lesions (4.9 months) was statistically associated with a positive diagnosis (p=0.012). Most patients infected in the north of the country had single lesions, whereas all those with multiple lesions were infected in the center or south (p