A Clinical and Epidemiology Survey of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Childhood

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is endemic in the different parts of Iran and has long been recognized in most provinces. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of childhood leishmaniasis in southeast of Kashan-Iran. Descriptive study was carried on all childhood referred to central laboratories during a 3 years period. Initial information including age, sex, sites of ulcer on the body, number of lesions, address, data and place of acquiring the disease. The study comprises 1625 children, the results showed the prevalence of 7.2% patients with lesions in the population, 4.2% of people displayed lesion scar and active ulcer 3%. The subjects age range from 6 years to 15 years (average 9.75 years). The M: F ratio was 1.2. All of our patients lived in an endemic area. The face was affected in 47% of cases. The encountered forms of leishmaniasis: populonodular 27.4%, ulcer 60.7%, sporotrichoid 6%, impetiginous 2.5% and erysipeloid 3.4%. Treatment with intramuscular meglomin antimonate 20-30 mg kg-1day is done for 93 patients. Meglomine antimonate treatment is well tolerated with no side effects. All leishmaniasis lesions healed within an average period of 2-14 months. Hyerpigmented scars were in 25.6% of the patients, atrophic scar 4.3% and hypopigmented scars was 3.4%. The findings of this study indicate increased prevalence of CL in the villages at the area of Kashan and Aran-Bidgol. The clinical finding pattern belonged to different endemic strains of L. major in Isfahan, which indicates the possible transmission of infection from Isfahan to this area.