title: Clinical diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (oriental sore).
abstract: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (oriental sore) is characterized by slowly evolving inflammatory lesion(s) that are nodular, noduloulcerative, or ulcerative and that heal spontaneously with scar(s) in 3 to 12 months. In the course of a comprehensive study of cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major in an endemic focus in Saudi Arabia, seven clinical features of diagnostic value were identified and their approximate frequency in a selected group of 475 patients was determined. These features were: exposed site location, 84%; pairing or clustering of lesions, 61.72%; skin crease orientation, 35.37%; volcanic nodules, 30.32%; satellite papules, 19.37%; subcutaneous nodules, 11.37%; and "iceberg" nodules, 4.63%. This information should serve the process of clinical diagnosis and may be relied upon when the procedures for parasite detection are negative or unavailable.
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010808:Physical Examination; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology