Palpebral Leishmaniasis with Trichiasis: A case report

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a parasitic hyperendemic disease in Isfahan. Its lesions can be solitary or multiple depending on the number of insect bites and is usually seen exposed areas. The possibility of insect bite on palpebral area is rare due to the protection by eyelashes and palpebral motion. In this area, lesions are usually presented as chalazion, dacryocystitis and rarely ulcerative and cancerous forms. As there is a chance of dissemination of the parasite to conjunctiva, cornea and sclera from the adjacent skin, and it is also possible that scarring of cutaneous leishmaniasis may cause some ophthalmologic side effects, this kind of leishmaniasis can potentially be very serious for eyes. In this report, a 13 year old boy with upper and lower palpebral cutaneous leishmaniasis who consequently developed conjunctivitis and trichiasis is presented. This patient responded to treatment with systemic glucantime, but ultimately developed conjunctival and palpebral scar, exposure keratitis and loss of eyelashes.