Volume 32, Issue 2 (Avicenna Journal of Clinical Medicine-Summer 2025)                   Avicenna J Clin Med 2025, 32(2): 118-126 | Back to browse issues page

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Vahidnia S, Kasani A, Eatedali H, Ghasemi E. Evaluation of the Treatment Process for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Patients Referred to the Reference Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Leishmaniasis in Dezful, Iran. Avicenna J Clin Med 2025; 32 (2) :118-126
URL: http://sjh.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-3248-en.html
1- Student Research Committees, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran
2- Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran
3- Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Medicine, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran & Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran , ezatqassemi@gmail.com
Abstract:   (88 Views)
Background and Objective: The clinical manifestations of cutaneous leishmaniasis exhibit significant heterogeneity, ranging from self-limiting lesions to atypical presentations. Relapses, treatment failures, and drug resistance in cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment pose substantial challenges. For this reason, the present study aimed to assess the treatment process of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis referred to the Diagnosis and Treatment Reference Center of Dezful University of Medical Sciences.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study, conducted from April 2021 to March 2023, involved 296 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis at Dezful University of Medical Sciences. Three Giemsa-stained smears were prepared for each patient, and their treatment was meticulously monitored, strictly adhering to national guidelines. The study sought to evaluate the diagnosis and treatment outcomes of cutaneous leishmaniasis within the patient cohort, employing descriptive statistics and chi-square testing, with a significance threshold of P 0.05.
Results: The present study on cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment outcomes provides valuable insights. Of the 296 patients under treatment, 105 (35.7%) cases were female, and 191 (64.3%) subjects were male. The mean age scores of males and females were reported as 27.16±17.77 and 25.45±20.39 years, respectively. The most common lesion site was the hands, with 121 (40.9%) patients having lesions on their hands. Notably, of the 296 cases treated according to the national standard protocol, only a tiny percentage experienced relapse (1.68%), treatment failure (1.01%), or drug resistance (0.33%), while the vast majority (96.5%) achieved a complete cure. These findings underscore the need for further research to improve our understanding of cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment.
Conclusion: As evidenced by the results of this study, despite strict adherence to national guidelines, treatment failures, relapses, and drug resistance remain daunting challenges presented to cutaneous leishmaniasis patients treated with pentavalent antimonials
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Type of Study: Original | Subject: Parasitology & Mycology

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