title: Clinical and dermoscopic evaluation of cutaneous leishmaniasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dermoscopy is a method to aid in the visualization of the epidermis and dermis. In recent years, the use of dermoscopy in the diagnosis of non-melanocytic lesions such as those of leishmania cutis has increased.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was intended to establish whether dermoscopic investigation has any diagnostic value in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five patients diagnosed with CL at the Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University, between February and October 2012, were included in the study. Collectively, the patients exhibited a total of 127 lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean ± standard deviation age of the patients was 25.7 ± 21.3 years (range: 4-86 years). Twenty-three (41.8%) patients were male, and 32 (58.2%) were female. In dermoscopy, teardrop-like structures were observed in 42.5% of the lesions. Vascular structures were detected in 115 (90.6%) lesions; no vascular structures were observed in 12 (9.4%) lesions. Branching, linear, comma-like, and polymorphic vessels were seen more commonly in lesions on the face; pin-point and hairpin-like vessels were seen more commonly in lesions on the upper extremities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When the findings obtained in this study were evaluated along with those reported in the literature, it became apparent that follicular plugs, also called "teardrop-like structures", seen on the face and neck may be a dermoscopic feature specific to CL. As hairpin-like vessels seen in an asymmetric radial arrangement were often observed on parts of the body other than the face, further dermoscopic studies comparing the lesions of CL with other ulcerating lesions are necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Tokat Zile State Hospital, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erhan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ayhan
authors.forename: Derya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ucmak
authors.forename: Sule Nergiz
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Baykara
authors.forename: Zeynep Meltem
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Akkurt
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arica
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D046169:Dermoscopy; D005260:Female; D018859:Hair Follicle; D006801:Humans; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult