[Cutaneous leishmaniasis. Diagnosis and therapy in northern Afghanistan].

BACKGROUND

The German S1 guidelines from 2009 contain a variety of recommendations for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

We report the results of our diagnostic procedures and treatment of 32 international patients in autumn 2010 in northern Afghanistan.

RESULTS

Giemsa stain confirmed the clinical diagnosis within 24 hours. Eleven simple lesions and one larger ulcer responded well to cryotherapy and intralesional sodium stibogluconate. More complex lesions in 19 patients responded well to oral miltefosine. One patient refused outpatient therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Cryotherapy and intralesional antimony compounds showed good results in early lesions of cutaneous leishmaniasis in northern Afghanistan. Outpatient treatment of complex lesions with miltefosine was successful in all cases.