Although pentavalent antimonials are the drugs of choice in the treatment of CL, pentamidine showed similar results. Nevertheless, several aspects, such as cost, adverse effects, local experience, and availability of drugs to treat CL, must be considered when determining the best management of this disease, especially in developing countries where resources are scarce.

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Background Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is a parasite recognized as the most important etiologic agent of mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) in the New World. In Amazonia, seven different species of Leishmania, etiologic agents of human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, have been described. Isolated cases of ML have been described for several different species of Leishmania: L. (V.) panamensis, L. (V.) guyanensis and L. (L.) amazonensis.Methodology Leishmania species were characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of tissues taken from mucosal biopsies of Amazonian patients who were diagnosed with ML and treated at the Tropical Medicine Foundation of Amazonas (FMTAM) in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil. Samples were obtained retrospectively from the pathology laboratory and prospectively from patients attending the aforementioned tertiary care unit.ResultsThis study reports 46 cases of ML along with their geographical origin, 30 cases caused by L. (V.) braziliensis and 16 cases by L. (V.) guyanensis. This is the first record of ML cases in 16 different municipalities in the state of Amazonas and of simultaneous detection of both species in 4 municipalities of this state. It is also the first record of ML caused by L. (V.) guyanensis in the states of Pará, Acre, and Rondônia and cases of ML caused by L. (V.) braziliensis in the state of Rondônia.Conclusions/Significance L. (V.) braziliensis is the predominant species that causes ML in the Amazon region. However, contrary to previous studies, L. (V.) guyanensis is also a significant causative agent of ML within the region. The clinical and epidemiological expression of ML in the Manaus region is similar to the rest of the country, although the majority of ML cases are found south of the Amazon River.

Mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) is an important endemic disease and public-health problem in underdeveloped countries because of its significant morbidity and mortality. Increases in ecological tourism have extended this problem to developed countries. This form of leishmaniasis, caused by reactivation after primary cutaneous lesion, has a natural history of progressive destruction of the nasal septa and soft and hard palates, causing facial disfiguration and leading to respiratory disturbances. Treatment of ML, based on several therapies, depends on use of toxic compounds, and few drugs have emerged over the past 40 years. Drug resistance has increased, and the cure rate is no better than 70% in the largest studies. Despite these data, there has been no systematic review of therapies used to treat this important tropical disease. The aim of this study is to determine the best drug management for treatment of ML in Latin America based on the best studies offered by the medical literature. The MEDLINE, LILACS, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched to identify articles related to ML and therapy. The studies were independently selected by 2 authors. Articles with sufficient data for cure and treatment failures, internal and external validity information, and > 4 patients in each treatment were included. Validation of this systematic review was based on guidelines to guarantee quality; 22 articles met our inclusion criteria. Stibogluconate achieved a 51% cure rate (76/150 patients), and 88% of patients treated with meglumine were cured (121 patients). Pentamidine and amphotericin were as effective as meglumine. Use of itraconazole and other therapies (pentoxifylline, allopurinol, or interferon-gamma) was controversial, and numbers of patients in some studies were insufficient for statistical analysis. Meglumine may be the drug of choice in the treatment of ML, as it offers similar cure rates when compared with amphotericin B and pentamidine. Cost, adverse effects, local experience, and availability of drugs to treat ML are strong points to be considered before determining the best management of this disease, especially in developing countries.

Summary Suitable levels of interferon (IFN)-g and interleukin (IL)-

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Clinical manifestations of tegumentary leishmaniasis in HIV-infected patients are diverse. Our data emphasize possible unusual manifestations of this disease in HIV-infected patients, particularly in severely immunosuppressed cases (< 200 CD4+ cells mm(-3)).

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