Periocular involvement in cutaneous leishmaniasis.
OBJECTIVE
Although cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) occurs mostly in the facial area, periocular involvement accounts for 2-5% of the facial lesions. CL lesions localized in the periocular region can easily be confused with various other diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of periocular involvement in CL in the Cukurova region of Turkey, as well as the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and methods of treatment of this disease.


METHODS
Between December 1998 and December 2004, patients who were diagnosed with CL were evaluated prospectively with respect to periocular involvement.


RESULTS
From the 2066 patients evaluated with CL, 2622 lesions were identified. In 59 (2.9%) of these patients, a total of 66 (2.5%) lesions were located in the periocular area. Thirty-two (48.5%) of these lesions were of the papular type, 15 (22.7%) the nodulo-ulcerative type, 10 (15.2%) the plaque type, and nine (13.6%) the nodular type. Dacryocystitis was identified in four patients with periocular involvement. Over the follow-up period, no ocular or periocular deformities or complications developed in these patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients suspected of CL should be evaluated and treated early in the course of their disease to prevent any permanent ocular or periocular deformities.
Durdu
M
M
Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, 01330 Adana, Turkey. sivandr@hotmail.com
Gökçe
S
S
Bagirova
M
M
Yalaz
M
M
Allahverdiyev
A M
AM
Uzun
S
S
D000328:Adult; D005141:Eyelid Diseases / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007766:Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000628:therapy; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies