The histopathology of naturally-occurring cutaneous leishmaniasis in the reservoir host, Psammomys obesus.

Ears from infected Psammomys obesus, the gerbil reservoir host of Leishmania major, were histopathologically studied. The histopathology was a chronic localized infection consisting of an epithelioid granuloma with greatly increased populations of mast cells, melanocytes and melanophores; ulceration was present and parasites were always very few and inside parasitophorus vacuoles.