[Cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major involving the bone marrow in an AIDS patient in Burkina Faso].
BACKGROUND
Leishmaniasis covers three well-individualized clinical variants, each due to individual species found in different geographic areas. Herein we report the first case of cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major involving bone marrow in an AIDS patient in Burkina Faso.


METHODS
A 38-year-old HIV-positive man presented with generalized, copper-coloured, painless, infiltrated, itching, papulonodular lesions present over the previous 10 months. Skin biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis. The bone-marrow smear showed numerous leishmania. The culture was positive and L. major was identified. The patient was being treated with antiretroviral medication and a pentavalent antimonial compound. The disease progression consisted of attacks and remissions separated by an average of three weeks.


CONCLUSIONS
L. major is the Leishmania species identified in Burkina Faso. It is responsible for typical cutaneous leishmaniasis but particular clinical forms have been described in immunodeficient patients, especially with diffuse cutaneous involvement. The spread of L. major infection to bone marrow could represent a public health problem in our country, where the HIV epidemic is still not under control, and particular vigilance is thus called for.
Barro-Traoré
F
F
Service de dermatologie et de vénéréologie de Ouagadougou, B.P. 3016, Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso. fatou_barro@yahoo.fr
Preney
L
L
Traoré
A
A
Darie
H
H
Tapsoba
P
P
Bassolé
A
A
Sawadogo
S
S
Niamba
P
P
Grosshans
E
E
Geniaux
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000469:parasitology*; D002050:Burkina Faso; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents