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Visceral leishmaniasis revealed by a squamous cell carcinoma in an HIV-1 infected patient

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Abstract

We present a case of visceral leishmaniasis confirmed after the histological investigation of an ulcerate lesion of the scalp in an HIV-1-infected patient receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Histological examination of the skin lesion revealed a squamous cell carcinoma superinfected by amastigotes of Leishmania infantum from the bloodstream. Because HIV-1-infected individuals can harbour parasitic infections in normal and neoplastic tissue, it is necessary to examine carefully any skin lesions, particularly those with uncommon aspects or a worsening course, to exclude superinfections by unsuspected pathogens.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Mr. Mark Kanieff for his assistance in the linguistic revision of the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical standards

All of the clinical and diagnostic procedures described in this study were performed in accordance with the criteria and norms of the Ethics Committee of Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri of Rome, Italy.

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Correspondence to M. Giuliani.

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Donati, P., Paolino, G., Panetta, C. et al. Visceral leishmaniasis revealed by a squamous cell carcinoma in an HIV-1 infected patient. Infection 41, 575–578 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-013-0412-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-013-0412-4

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