Occurrence of two autochthonous cases of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in the neighborhood of Caju, city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

American cutaneous leishmaniasis is in full geographic expansion in Brazil and it is considered among the infectious and parasitic diseases of utmost importance worldwide, not only by its frequency, but mainly by therapeutic difficulties, deformities and sequelae that may result. In the state of Rio de Janeiro, the first autochthonous case of American cutaneous leishmaniasis was registered by Rabello in 1913. The authors report two cases of the disease in the region around the Cemetery São Francisco Xavier, in the Caju neighborhood, Rio de Janeiro city, and emphasize the need for actions that aim to early diagnosis and treatment of American cutaneous leishmaniasis cases.

FIGURE 1

Current map of the region around the Cemetery of São Francisco Xavier, in Caju neighborhood, city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 1 and 2: places where two American cutaneous leishmaniasis cases were found; A: Avenida Brasil; C: Cemetery of São Francisco Xavier; G: Guanabara Bay; L: Linha Vermelha (President João Goulart / RJ-071 Express Way). Scale bar: 500 m. Source: Google Earth

FIGURE 2

(a) Ulcer with raised outer borders on the external surface of the right leg – female patient; (b) Ulcer with erithematous-infiltrated and raised borders, on the external surface of the right leg – male patient; (c) ulcer border imprint, patient of case 1, demonstrating the presence of amastigote forms of Leishmania sp – blue circle (May-Grunwald Giemsa coloration); (d) ulcer border imprint, patient of case 2, demonstrating the presence of amastigote forms of Leishmania sp – blue circle (Leishman coloration)bar: 500 m. Source: Google Earth