[Cutaneous leishmaniasis after renal transplantation: Report of 7 cases and review of the literature]. / Leishmaniose cutanée après transplantation rénale : à propos de 7 cas et revue de la littérature.

Leishmaniasis is a zoonosis acquired from the bite of a sandfly that introduces the amastigote forms of leishmania into the bloodstream. It is a frequent infection in the countries of the Mediterranean basin and in Tunisia, where it is rife in an endemo-epidemic mode. However, it is rare after kidney transplantation. It constitutes a challenge due to the diagnostic difficulty, the variability and the polymorphism of the clinical picture in immunocompromised patients. We report seven observations of cutaneous leishmaniasis after kidney transplantation through which we try to identify diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties.

Atypical presentation of cutaneous leishmaniasis in a renal transplant recipient successfully treated with allopurinol and fluconazole.

Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic infection acquired through the bite of a female sandfly, which introduces the amastigotes of Leishmania into the bloodstream. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is rare after solid organ transplantation. Its diagnosis is difficult in immunosuppressed patients. We report a case of isolated cutaneous leishmaniasis in a renal transplant patient resident in an endemic area. The patient was successfully treated with allopurinol and fluconazole and has remained relapse-free for 44 months. The diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis must be considered in immunosuppressed patients living in endemic areas. Our report shows that cutaneous leishmaniasis may complicate the clinical course of kidney transplant recipients and its presentation can be atypical. Conventional treatment with pen.tavalent antimonial agents can cause many side effects; of particular concern in renal transplant pa.tients are pancreatitis and nephrotoxicity. These latter may be avoided by using a combination of allopurinol and fluconazole.