Ocular leishmaniasis: a case report

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a protozoal disease which is endemic in Iran usually caused by Leishmaniasis major and Leishmaniasis tropica and transmitted by the bite of a sandfly. In Isfahan province CL is highly prevalent and we observe some unusual clinical features of disease. The eyelid is rarely involved possibly because the movement of the lids prevents the fly vector from biting the skin in this region. We report a case of ocular leishmaniasis with eyelid and conjunctival involvement that had simulated chalazion and was complicated with trichiasis. The patient was diagnosed by direct smear, culture, and PCR from the lesions. He was treated with systemic sodium stibogluconate (20 mg/kg/day) for 20 days and subsequently surgery for trichiasis. The patient was clinically cured with this treatment, however the disease had left complications, including palpebral and conjanctival scaring, corneal opacity, and eyelash loss.