Old-world leishmaniasis presenting as a nasal mass

Abstract

Mucosal leishmaniasis is a major problem in Latin America but has been rarely noticed in our region. Although there have been a few reports of mucosal involvement especially in the oral cavity from Southwest Iran, yet none have been presented from the Northeast where Leishmania tropica is the major concern. We report a patient with endonasal leishmaniasis due to L. tropica, an extremely rare entity in immunocompetent patients in our region. He presented with a mass in the left nasal vestibule causing a sense of obstruction on the same side, accompanied by occasional rhinorrhea and mild epistaxis. This case exemplifies the need for considering leishmaniasis as a differential diagnosis for nasal obstruction in this endemic area.