Demographic and clinical patterns of cutaneous leishmaniasis in patients reporting to a Tertiary Care Hospital in Quetta, Balochistan.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the demographic profile and clinical patterns of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) patients presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Quetta. Study Design: Retrospective Cross-sectional study. Setting: Department of Dermatology, Combined Military Hospital (CMH), a Tertiary Care Hospital in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. Period: June 1^st, 2024, to May 31^st, 2025. Methods: All confirmed cases of CL attending the outpatient department for the first time during the study period were included in the study. Incomplete records and repeat visits were excluded. Parameters including age, gender, occupation, month of presentation, duration of disease, number and site of lesions, and clinical morphology were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Programme for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29. Continuous variables (age, duration of lesions) were presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Categorical variables (gender, lesion type, location, diagnostic method) were presented as frequencies and percentages. Seasonal variation was assessed by mapping monthly distribution trends. Results: A total of 360 confirmed CL cases were recorded during the study period. The mean age of the patients was 30.1 ± 6.2 years, with a range from 2 to 78 years. The most frequently affected age group was 21-40 years. The gender distribution showed that 89.44% of the patients were male and 10.56% were female. The mean duration of lesion was 2.3 ±1.1 months. The majority of the patients had single lesion, mostly on lower limbs. The clinical presentation exhibited a spectrum of manifestations. The predominant morphological pattern was nodulo-ulcerative, accounting for 66.67% of cases. The monthly distribution of cases demonstrated a distinct seasonal pattern, with higher number of cases in winter season. Conclusion: This retrospective study highlights the unique demographic profiles, clinical patterns, and seasonal trends of cutaneous leishmaniasis cases reported from a tertiary care hospital in Quetta. The findings offer valuable insights into disease patterns that are often underrepresented in regional datasets and can inform localized control strategies.