title: Comorbidity of leishmania major with cutaneous sarcoidosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  leishmaniasis infection might manifest as sarcoidosis; on the other hand, some evidences propose an association between sarcoidosis and leishmaniasis. Most of the times, it is impossible to discriminate idiopathic sarcoidosis from leishmaniasis by conventional histopathologic exam.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We performed a cross-sectional study to examine the association of sarcoidosis with leishmaniasis in histopathologically diagnosed sarcoidal granuloma biopsy samples by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined paraffin-embedded skin biopsy samples obtained from patients with clinical and histopathological diagnosis as naked sarcoidal granuloma, referred to Skin Research Center of Shaheed Beheshti Medical University from January 2001 to March 2010, in order to isolate Leishmania parasite. The samples were reassessed by an independent dermatopathologist. DNA extracted from all specimens was analyzed by the commercially available PCR kits (DNPTM Kit, CinnaGen, Tehran, Iran) to detect endemic Leishmania species, namely leishmania major (L. major).
  
  
  RESULTS
  L. major was positive in PCR of Eight out of twenty-five examined samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cutaneous leishmaniasis may be misinterpreted as sarcoidosis; in endemic areas, when conventional methods fail to detect Leishmania parasite, PCR should be utilized in any granulomatous skin disease compatible with sarcoidosis, regardless of the clinical presentation or histopathological interpretation.
authors.affiliation: Skin Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamideh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moravvej
authors.affiliation: Skin Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Parvaneh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vesal
authors.affiliation: Skin Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abolhasani
authors.affiliation: Skin Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shizar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nahidi
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute, Pasteur Square, South Karegar Blvd., Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fereidoun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mahboudi
keywords: Cutaneous leishmaniasis; Leishmania major; polymerase chain reaction; sarcoidal type granuloma; sarcoidosis