[Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis].

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that causes various clinical features depending on the infecting Leishmania species and the host immune response. Transmission occurs through the bite of an infected sand fly (subfamily of Phlebotominae). Leishmaniasis must be part of the differential diagnosis of persistent cutaneous lesions in travellers returning from an endemic area. The disease is most frequently characterized by one or more ulcerative lesions, which are predominant on the exposed parts of the body. The diagnosis is confirmed by microscopical observation of the parasite on a scraping or biopsy of the lesion, or by PCR, the latter allowing an identification of the Leishmania species. Treatment is dependent on the clinical presentation, the species of Leishmania and the comorbidities of the patient.