Application of CL Detect™ rapid test for diagnosis and liposomal amphotericin B for treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis: A retrospective analysis from a tertiary care centre in a non-endemic area in India

Abstract

Background Increasing urbanisation has led to the occurrence of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in new areas, which was otherwise localised to endemic areas. Healthcare workers should be made aware of this entity to ensure clinical suspicion of CL and investigations needed to confirm CL. The article describes patients seen at a tertiary hospital in Delhi. Aims To establish the utility of the CL Detect Rapid test as a diagnostic tool and the efficacy of Liposomal Amphotericin B (LAmB) for the complete cure of CL patients. Methods Data of patients of CL (n = 16) was retrospectively analysed concerning diagnosis and treatment. Diagnosis rested on histopathology, real-time PCR, and CL Detect Rapid Test. Speciation of the parasite was based on the Internal transcribed spacer-I gene. Patients were treated with LAmB (i.v., 5 mg/kg up to three doses, five days apart). Results A positivity of 81.3% (95%CI, 54.4–96) was observed for CL Detect Rapid test in comparison with 100% (95%CI, 79.4–100.0) for real-time PCR and 43.8% (95%CI, 19.8–70.1) for microscopy/histopathological examination. L. tropica was the infective species in all cases. All the patients treated with LAmB responded to treatment, and 9/10 patients demonstrated complete regression of lesions, while one was lost to follow-up. Limitations It is a retrospective study, and the data includes only confirmed cases of CL at a single centre. Conclusion This study highlights the utility of CL Detect as a promising diagnostic tool and the efficacy of LAmB for the complete cure of CL.