Comparative analysis of the clinicopathological features in cutaneous leishmaniasis and lupus vulgaris in Turkey.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (LC) and lupus vulgaris (LV) are commonly encountered in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. Differential diagnosis is rather difficult and unreliable purely on clinical grounds; thus histopathological examination is required. Microscopical findings of both lesions may also present some similarities. 12 LC and 16 LV cases were analysed comparatively regarding the clinicopathological features. In the early stage of LC, macrophage granulomas containing numerous leishmania parasites was the key microscopic finding. In the late stage of LC, granulomas consisted of epithelioid histiocytes with scanty organisms were present. LV biopsies showed tuberculoid granulomas with Langhans type giant cells in all cases, and acid fast bacilli were detected only in two cases.