Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: A 2022 Updated Narrative Review into Diagnosis and Management Developments

AbstractThis review is an update of an earlier narrative review published in 2015 on developments in the clinical management of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) including diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control measurements. CL is a vector-borne infection caused by the protozoan parasiteLeishmania. The vector is the female sandfly. Globally, CL affects 12 million cases and annually 2 million new cases occur. CL is endemic in almost 100 countries and the total risk population is approximately 350 million people. WHO lists CL an emerging and uncontrolled disease and a neglected tropical disease. Local experience-based evidence remains the mainstay for the management of CL. Whereas intralesional therapeutic options are the first treatment option for most CL patients, those with mucocutaneous and disseminated involvement require a systemic therapeutic approach. Moreover, differentLeishmania species can vary in their treatment outcomes. Therefore, species determination is critical for optimal CL clinical management. New DNA techniques allow for relatively easyLeishmania species determination, yet they are not easily implemented in resource-limited settings. There is a desperate need for novel, less toxic, and less painful treatment options, especially for children with CL. Yet, the large and well conducted studies required  to provide the necessary evidence are lacking. To further control and potentially eliminate CL, we urgently need to improve vector control, and diagnostics,...
Source: American Journal of Clinical Dermatology - Category: Dermatology Source Type: research