Case Report: Coinfection by Leishmania amazonensis and HIV in a Brazilian Diffuse Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Patient

Diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis (DCL) is a rare type of leishmaniasis characterized by diffuse skin lesions. In Brazil, Leishmania (L.) amazonensis is the main etiological agent of this clinical form. The state of Maranhao has the highest prevalence of this disease in the country, as well as a high rate of HIV infection. Here, we report the first case of DCL/HIV of Brazil. A 46-year-old man from the Amazonian area of Maranhao state presented atypical lesion in the left upper limb and dissemination of diffuse erythematous nodules over his entire body. Histopathological examination confirmed the presence of intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania, and a polymerase chain reaction and molecular identification by restriction fragment profile identified L. (L.) amazonensis as the causative agent of the disease. The patient was also diagnosed with HIV virus after the leishmaniasis diagnosis. The initial treatments for leishmaniasis were liposomal amphotericin B (AmB-L) (4 mg/kg) for 10 days and prophylactic use of Glucantime (R) (10 mg/Sb+5/kg) for 2 months. After unsuccessful initial treatments, he was treated with a combination of AmB-L (4 mg/kg) alternated with pentamidine (4 mg/kg) for 10 days but failed in the first therapeutic cycle. Subsequently, he had a good response to treatment with pentamidine (4 mg/kg).