Use of the intramuscular route to administer pentamidine isethionate in Leishmania guyanensis cutaneous leishmaniasis increases the risk of treatment failure

New world cutaneous leishmaniasis (NWCL) can be found in French Guiana as well as in several other parts of Central and South America. Leishmania guyanensis accounts for nearly 90% of cases in French Guiana and is treated with pentamidine isethionate, given by either intramuscular or intravenous injection. The military population is particularly exposed due to repeated missions in the rainforest. The purpose of the present study was to identify the factors associated with pentamidine isethionate treatment failure in a series of service members with L. guyanensis NWCL acquired in French Guiana. All the French service members reported as having acquired leishmaniasis in French Guiana from December 2013 to June 2016 were included. Seventy-three patients infected with L. guyanensis were included in the final analysis. Patients treated with IV pentamidine isethionate had better response rates than those treated with IM pentamidine isethionate (p = 0.002, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.15, 95% CI [0.04–0.50]). The rate of treatment success was 85.3% (95% CI [68.9–95.0]) for IV pentamidine isethionate and 51.3% (95% CI [34.8–67.6]) for IM pentamidine isethionate. The use of intramuscular pentamidine isethionate in the treatment of Leishmania guyanensis cutaneous leishmaniasis is associated with more treatment failures than intravenous pentamidine isethionate.