Cutaneous leishmaniasis in refugees from Syria: complex cases in Berlin 2015–2020

Abstract Background The Syrian conflict has led to a dramatic increase of Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), triggered by continuous population displacements, disrupted control programmes, poor shelter and sanitation. Methods A retrospective patient record study was conducted at the Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health in Berlin. Records of all refugees from Syria treated for CL between January 2015 and March 2020 were reviewed. Results Twenty refugees from Syria were treated. Seventeen refugees (85%) had complex lesions, mainly due to previous therapy failure or localization on the face. A long disease duration (50% > 1 year), pronounced facial scarring (20%), recurrences (20%), or worsening of existing lesions (20%) were observed. Nine patients (45%) had been pretreated in Syria. Complete remission was achieved in 10 of 16 patients (63%) treated with perilesional antimony. Eight patients (40%) required systemic treatment, thereof four (20%) repeated systemic treatment. Eight patients (40%) reported a delay of therapy ≥3 months in Germany, thereof one patient with a delay of 12 months and one patient with a delay of 32 months. Conclusion Between 2015 and 2020, Syrian refugees presented with severe morbidities of CL frequently requiring systemic and even consecutive systemic treatments. We assume a combination of socioeconomic and environmental factors associated with the ongoing Syrian conflict and migration to be responsible for the complex clinical presentations in this case series. More attention should be drawn to the situation of Syrian refugees with CL in countries where they are displaced to.