CYTOLOGIC FEATURES OF DRY-TYPE CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS

Exfoliative cytology smears from the lesions of 179 patients with cuta neous leishmaniasis dire to Leishmania tropica were studied with speci fic reference to cellular reactions and their effect on the parasite. Aggregates of the parasite (so-called Leishman Donovan bodies) were pr esent within macrophages and in some fibroblasts. The nature of the in flammatory reaction to the disease was studied by performing different ial counts of the the inflammatory cells present in the smears. These were correlated with the number of Leishman Donovan bodies. There was an inverse relationship between the number of Leishman Donovan bodies and the percentage of small lymphocytes, neutrophils, and type I macro phages. It is postulated that aggregates of activated macrophages (des ignated types II and III) and the Leishmanian milieu (sticky matrix) p rotect the amastigote Leishmania parasites from being eradicated by th e inflammatory and immune reaction. The cytoplasmic blebbing of the pa rasitophorous vacuoles and cell to cell connection of the activated hi stiocytes could be shown by the CD-68 immunostaining of the tissue bio psy. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1998;19:182-185, (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss,Inc.