Localized mucosal leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum mimicking cancer in the rhinolaryngeal region

•All lesions described mimicked cancer in the rhinolaryngeal region..•Histopathological study of the lesions may contribute to the diagnosis of Leishmania infection, even when no Leishmania amastigotes are detected on staining.•It is necessary to suspect this infection and to send samples to the microbiology laboratory in order to rule out the diagnosis. The clinical, microbiological, and histopathological findings of six patients with mucosal leishmaniasis are reported. Five of these patients were Spanish with no history of travel abroad, while the other was from Bolivia but had lived in Spain for more than 5 years. Two patients had no underlying disease, while the other four had several other medical conditions. Lesions were located in the nose in three patients and in the larynx in the other three. Symptoms included difficulty in swallowing, nasal obstruction, dysphonia, and polypoid lesions mimicking cancer. The diagnosis was based on the identification of parasites, or on PCR assay or culture. Five patients were treated with liposomal amphotericin B and the other with antimonial compounds.