Spontaneous regional heading of extensive skin lesions in diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis (DCL)

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Jackson M.L. Costa, Ana Cristina R. Saldanha, Conceição de Maria P. e Silva, Maria dos Remédios F.C. Branco, Aldina Barrai, Edgard M. Carvalho, Achiléia L. Bittencourt
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 1995
• Subjects: Leishmaniose cutâneo-difusa; Cicatriz espontânea; Lesões regionais; Leishmania amazonensis; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0037-86821995000100008; https://doaj.org/article/aa7b643411df4821974602c1c052d80c

The authors report a case of diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis, with longstanding evolution and presenting with diffuse infiltrated lesions rich in amastigotes in the absence of mucosal involvement. In situ characterization with monoclonal antibodies revealed Leishmania amazonensis. Large regional lesions have presented spontaneous healing without specific therapy. Considering that DCL presents with a defect in the cellular immune response, thisfact demonstrate that this patient may develop a regional cellular immune response enough to destroy the parasites and to produce clearing of some lesions.