Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Parasitology 1735-7020 8 3 2013 09 15 430 436 EN Akram Mir Amin Mohammadi Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Ali Khamesipour Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Alireza Khatami Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Amir Javadi Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Qazvin University, Qazvin, Iran. Mansour Nassiri-Kashani Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Alireza Firooz Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Yahya Dowlati Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Massoud Behnia Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Seyyed Ebrahim Eskandari Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2015 10 14   Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a major health problem in many parts of Iran, although diagnosis of CL especially in the endemic area is easy, but treatment and management of the disease is a global dilemma. Diag-nosis of CL in non-endemic area is not as simple as in endemic foci. In this study, the status and the proportions of CL induced by Leishmania major and L. tropica among CL suspected patients referred to the Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, (CRTSDL) during 2008 to 2011 are described. Methods: CL patients with suspected lesions were clinically examined. History of trip to zoonotic CL and/or anthroponotic CL endemic areas and the char-acteristics of their lesion(s) were recorded. Diagnosis of the lesion was done using direct smear microscopy, culture and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: A total of 404 (M=256, F=148) patients with 776 lesions were re-cruited and parasitologically examined. The results showed that 255 of the pa-tients with 613 lesions; patients with lesion(s) induced by L. major=147 (M=63, 43%, F=84, 57%) and lesion(s) induced by L. tropica=108 (M=35, 32%, F=73, 68%). History of travel to endemic area was not always correlated with isolated Leishmania species. Conclusion: Although travel history to endemic area is an important factor to be considered for diagnosis, but parasitological confirmation is necessary initia-tion of treatment. https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/view/473 https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/download/473/490