Table 1.
Demographical, laboratorial, and clinical features of cutaneous leishmaniasis in children, adolescents, and adults
| Variable | 0–12 years (n = 129) | 13–18 years (n = 83) | > 18 years (n = 359) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | 71/129 (58.5%) | 58/83 (69.8%) | 200/359 (57.8%) | 0.05 |
| Duration of the disease | ||||
| Within 30 days | 101/129 (78%) | 65/83 (78%) | 243/359 (68%) | 0.03 |
| More than 30 days | 28/129 (22%) | 18/83 (22%) | 116/359 (32%) | |
| Location of the largest lesion | ||||
| Cephalic segment | 20/129 (16%) | 4/83 (5%) | 14/359 (4%) | 0.001 |
| Chest and abdomen | 10/129 (8%) | 7/83 (8%) | 38/359 (11%) | |
| Superior extremities | 16/129 (12%) | 11/83 (13%) | 44/359 (12%) | |
| Inferior extremities | 83/129 (64%) | 61/83 (74%) | 263/359 (73%) | |
| Number of lesions | ||||
| Single lesion | 94/129 (73%) | 54/83 (65%) | 253/359 (71%) | 0.47 |
| More than one lesion | 35/129 (27%) | 29/83 (35%) | 106/359 (30%) | |
| Largest diameter (mm) | 11.9 ± 9.4 | 16.6 ± 9.9 | 15.8 ± 12.2 | 0.002 |
| Positive LST | 124/126 (98%) | 81/83 (97%) | 339/351 (96%) | na |
| Presence of amastigotes in histopathology | 0/1 | 2/2 (100%) | 11/13 (84%) | na |
| Positive PCR | 4/5 (80%) | 20/22 (91%) | 182/206 (88%) | na |
| Cure in 60 days | 22/129 (17%) | 23/83 (28%) | 90/359 (25%) | 0.12 |
| Cure in 90 days | 56/129 (43%) | 33/83 (40%) | 172/359 (48%) | 0.34 |
LST = Leishmania skin test; na = not applicable. The percentage may not add to 100% because of rounding. The categorical variables were compared using the χ2 test, and the continuous variables by the ANOVA test. The P-value in the last column corresponds to the comparison between the three groups. Multiple comparisons of the continuous variables were performed using the post hoc test of Bonferroni. For the variable “largest diameter,” two comparisons were statistically significant: 0–12 vs. 12–18 (P = 0.011); 0–12 vs. > 18 (P = 0.003); there was no difference between the age-groups 13–18 vs. > 18 years (P = 1.0).