Cutaneous leishmaniasis in a severely immunocompromised HIV patient in Kumbo, Northwest region of Cameroon: case report

Leishmaniasis is a rising opportunistic infection in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Cases of leishmania and HIV co-infection have been documented in several countries in the world with most reporting on the association between visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and HIV. We herein report the case of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) occurring in an HIV seropositive patient.A 28\ua0year old Cameroonian female diagnosed with HIV for 6\ua0months earlier, presented to our facility with a 3\ua0months history of non-painful rash. Clinical examination revealed non prurigeneous papulo-nodular lesions on the face and thighs which later became crusty ulcerative lesions. Giemsa staining with examination under oil objective immersion identified amastigotes and a diagnosis of CL was made which was managed with amphotericine B (1\ua0mg/kg of body weight) for 14\ua0days with mild improvement of lesions. Patient developed hypokalemia due to the amphotericine B during admission which was corrected and died 1\ua0month after discharge.Current evidence suggest higher incidence of VL in HIV, however we report the occurrence of CL in HIV. A high index of suspicion for CL is warranted among clinicians in Africa when faced with HIV patients with inconsistent cutaneous rash