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A Case of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Presenting to the Emergency Department

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In this case, we describe a case of cutaneous leishmaniasis, a protozoan disease not typically found in the United States, that presented to our emergency department (ED). The diagnosis was confirmed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) sample from the presenting skin lesion. The patient was a 43-year-old woman with history of a bite by an unknown organism while traveling by foot through Panama. She presented with a large, ulcerated lesion on her lower left shin. She was admitted on suspicion of leishmaniasis, and physicians of several specialties initiated a broad laboratory workup, collected wound cultures, prescribed antibiotics, and surgically repaired the lesion. The rapid recognition of leishmaniasis allowed for the patient to begin treatment before the definitive diagnosis returned, emphasizing the importance of knowledge of worldwide diseases and their presenting features for the ED physician.

Source: Open Access Emergency Medicine

DOI: 10.2147/oaem.s499748

Authors: Anne Gordon, Adrienne Malik

Institutions: University of Kansas, University of Kansas Medical Center

Language: English

Topic: Research on Leishmaniasis Studies

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,320