Imported cutaneous leishmaniasis: a 13-year experience of a Polish tertiary center

Anna Kuna; Michał Gajewski; Martyna Bykowska; Halina Pietkiewicz; Romuald Olszański; Przemysław Myjak

doi:10.5114/ada.2019.82830

eISSN: 2299-0046
ISSN: 1642-395X

Advances in Dermatology and Allergology/Postępy Dermatologii i Alergologii

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1/2019
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abstract:

Original paper

Imported cutaneous leishmaniasis: a 13-year experience of a Polish tertiary center

Anna Kuna

,

Michał Gajewski

,

Martyna Bykowska

,

Halina Pietkiewicz

,

Romuald Olszański

,

Przemysław Myjak

Adv Dermatol Allergol 2019; XXXVI (1): 104-111

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/ada.2019.82830

Online publish date: 2019/02/22

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Introduction
Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne infection endemic in 98 countries. Its cutaneous form (CL) causes skin lesions on exposed parts of the body and may lead to scarring. The numbers of imported cases of CL are increasing in Europe but the incidence of CL importation in Poland is unknown.

Material and methods
A list of all patients diagnosed with CL at the Department in the years 2005–2017 was obtained. The study presents their data including age, sex, areas visited, purpose of travel, time from the onset of symptoms to correct diagnosis, appearance of lesions, results of impression smears and PCR, and superinfection, if detected, as well as treatment methods and their outcomes.

Results
Altogether, 14 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis were identified. The study demonstrates an increase in the number of cases of imported CL at our center over the last 5 years. The time to correct diagnosis was long in spite of the fact that the lesions had usually an appearance typical of CL.

Conclusions
Intensified education of physicians and travelers, as well as improvement in the access to travel medicine services and to the diagnosis and treatment methods appropriate for CL, are needed in our country. In our opinion, surveillance of leishmaniasis should be introduced in Poland.

keywords:

Imported cutaneous leishmaniasis: a 13-year experience of a Polish tertiary center

Anna Kuna , Michał Gajewski , Martyna Bykowska , Halina Pietkiewicz , Romuald Olszański , Przemysław Myjak

cutaneous leishmaniasis, neglected diseases, imported communicable diseases, emerging communicable diseases, travel-related illness, disease vectors

Anna Kuna

,

Michał Gajewski

,

Martyna Bykowska

,

Halina Pietkiewicz

,

Romuald Olszański

,

Przemysław Myjak