BACKGROUND: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is widespread in Yemen, but not fully documented. OBJECTIVE: To study the clinicoepidemiologic profile of CL in the northwestern region of Yemen Republic and to identify the responsible Leishmania species by molecular methods. METHODS: All 265 CL cases (176 males and 89 females) were subjected to detailed analysis. Diagnosis was based on clinical features, positive slit skin smear, and histopathologic findings in some cases. In 198 cases, positive smears were examined at the Leishmania Reference Centre of Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome (Italy), by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis for Leishmania typing. RESULTS: All patients were Yemeni nationals, originated from 10 governorates of northwestern Yemen. Most of the patients had a single noduloulcerative lesion on the face suggestive of "dry"-type CL. Slit skin smear was positive in 255 cases (96.23%). Leishmania sp PCR was positive in all 198 cases examined; the RFLP analysis was positive in 155 samples with the following identification results: L. tropica in 133 cases (85.80%), L. infantum in 17 (10.97%), and L. donovani in 5 (3.23%). LIMITATIONS: This was a prospective study of CL cases at one center only; hence, the full extent of the disease in the entire region cannot be predicted. CONCLUSION: CL appears to be endemic in northwestern region of Yemen, clinically presenting as 'dry' type, caused mainly by L. tropica (85.8% of cases) and occasionally by L. infantum (10.97%) and L. donovani (3.23%). There is a need for a multicenter study to evaluate the extent of the disease and diffusion of each Leishmania responsible species.
BACKGROUND:Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is widespread in Yemen, but not fully documented. OBJECTIVE: To study the clinicoepidemiologic profile of CL in the northwestern region of Yemen Republic and to identify the responsible Leishmania species by molecular methods. METHODS: All 265 CL cases (176 males and 89 females) were subjected to detailed analysis. Diagnosis was based on clinical features, positive slit skin smear, and histopathologic findings in some cases. In 198 cases, positive smears were examined at the Leishmania Reference Centre of Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome (Italy), by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis for Leishmania typing. RESULTS: All patients were Yemeni nationals, originated from 10 governorates of northwestern Yemen. Most of the patients had a single noduloulcerative lesion on the face suggestive of "dry"-type CL. Slit skin smear was positive in 255 cases (96.23%). Leishmania sp PCR was positive in all 198 cases examined; the RFLP analysis was positive in 155 samples with the following identification results: L. tropica in 133 cases (85.80%), L. infantum in 17 (10.97%), and L. donovani in 5 (3.23%). LIMITATIONS: This was a prospective study of CL cases at one center only; hence, the full extent of the disease in the entire region cannot be predicted. CONCLUSION: CL appears to be endemic in northwestern region of Yemen, clinically presenting as 'dry' type, caused mainly by L. tropica (85.8% of cases) and occasionally by L. infantum (10.97%) and L. donovani (3.23%). There is a need for a multicenter study to evaluate the extent of the disease and diffusion of each Leishmania responsible species.
Authors: Mohammed A K Mahdy; Hesham M Al-Mekhlafi; Abdulsalam M Al-Mekhlafi; Yvonne A L Lim; Naemah O M Bin Shuaib; Ahmed A Azazy; Rohela Mahmud Journal: PLoS One Date: 2010-09-20 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Qhtan Asmaa; Salwa Al-Shamerii; Mohammed Al-Tag; Adam Al-Shamerii; Yiping Li; Bashir H Osman Journal: Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob Date: 2017-07-04 Impact factor: 3.944