Dermoscopy of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

BACKGROUND

Dermoscopy has been proposed as a diagnostic tool in the case of skin infections and parasitosis but no specific dermoscopic criteria have been described for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL).

OBJECTIVES

To describe the dermoscopic features of CL.

METHODS

Dermoscopic examination (using the DermLite Foto; 3Gen, LLC, Dana Point, CA, U.S.A.) of 26 CL lesions was performed to evaluate specific dermoscopic criteria.

RESULTS

We observed the following dermoscopic features: generalized erythema (100%), 'yellow tears' (53%), hyperkeratosis (50%), central erosion/ulceration (46%), erosion/ulceration associated with hyperkeratosis (38%) and 'white starburst-like pattern' (38%). Interestingly, at least one vascular structure described in skin neoplasms was observed in all cases: comma-shaped vessels (73%), linear irregular vessels (57%), dotted vessels (53%), polymorphous/atypical vessels (26%), hairpin vessels (19%), arborizing telangiectasia (11%), corkscrew vessels (7%) and glomerular-like vessels (7%). Combination of two or more different types of vascular structures was present in 23 of 26 CL lesions (88%), with a combination of two vascular structures in 13 cases (50%) and three or more in 10 cases (38%).

CONCLUSIONS

Characteristic dermoscopic structures have been identified in CL. Important vascular patterns seen in melanocytic and nonmelanocytic tumours are frequently observed in this infection.