[Spontaneous course of lesions of Leishmania major cutaneous leishmaniasis in Tunisia].
BACKGROUND
The evolution of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) caused by L. major, was usually described with crosssectional studies of patients under anti-leishmanial drugs. This work aimed to describe the clinical and parasitological status by a follow-up study of patients with ZCL and treated with a placebo.


METHODS
In 1992, 58 patients with unique lesion of ZCL confirmed parasitologically and treated with vaseline twice a day for 15 days were followed in days 0, 15, 45 and 105. During every visit we have performed a clinical description of the lesion, a direct smear and a culture on NNN medium.


RESULTS
81 p. 100 of the lesions were ulcerated in day 0. A rapid clinical healing was noticed in 6.9 p. 100 of patients and the lesion remained active in 25.9 p. 100 of cases until day 105. Direct smears became negative among 56.4 p. 71 p. 100 and 92.3 p. 100 in days 15, 45 and 105 respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The ulcer was the most frequent sign during the diagnosis. The rapid conversion of positive parasitological tests suggest that the diagnosis of ZCL in endemic zones should be based mainly on clinical criteria.
Laboratoire d'Epidémiologie et d'Ecologie Parasitaire (LEEP), Institut Pasteur de Tunis.
H
H
Zakraoui
A
A
Ben Salah
A
A
Ftaiti
H
H
Marrakchi
A
A
Zaatour
B
B
Zaafouri
Z
Z
Ahmadi
A
A
Garraoui
A
A
Ben Osman
K
K
Dellagi
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D018320:Leishmania major; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010919:Placebos; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015163:Superinfection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D013997:Time Factors; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014945:Wound Healing
D010919:Placebos
Evolution spontanée des lésions de leishmaniose cutanée a Leishmania major en Tunisie.