September 4, 1953

To the Editor:

In reference to the article by Drs. Carlos Calero M. and Carl M. Johnson on “Cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Republic of Panama” in No. 4 (July) 1953 permit me to add the following information:

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is rather common in the Province of Bocas del Toro of Panama and in the adjacent area of Costa Rica. From 1944 up to the present, involvement of the nasal mucosa has been observed here in eight cases. One of these I reported as “Probable Polypous Form of Leishmaniasis of the Nose” in Practica Oto-rhinolaryngologica 14: 14 (1952). The patient returned later-on when antigen for the intracutaneous Montenegro test was available. The test resulted strongly positive; antimony therapy was again successful and thus the diagnosis was beyond doubt. Description of the other cases of nasal leishmaniasis will be published elsewhere.

In mucosal lesions the parasites are rarely encountered.