Persistence of in the Nasal Mucosa of Treated Patients.

: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infectious disease that most frequently affects neglected populations. Besides its incidence, a high disease burden is associated with the possibility of mucosal sequelae. Clinical follow-up of these patients is difficult due to the limited access of the affected population to healthcare and the long lapse between the development of cutaneous and mucosal diseases. In this study, we evaluated the positivity of DNA on the nasal mucosa of patients treated for leishmaniasis in an attempt to estimate the possible long-term risk of developing mucosal leishmaniasis and its association with important clinical characteristics. : Samples were collected immediately after treatment completion using a nasal swab and specific DNA was amplified and detected using real-time PCR. Clinical and laboratorial data was systematically collected. : The positivity of was 7% after treatment, and of this 60% had mucosal lesions before treatment, compared with only 13.4% in patients negative for after treatment ( = 0.031). : Molecular detection of DNA on the nasal mucosa is a promising strategy to improve the follow-up and treatment of patients with American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis.