Objective: To find frequency of leishmania parasite in the patients presenting with cutaneous leishmaniasis using histopathology and polymerase chain reaction assay and to determine the sensitivity and specificity of these two methods
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the department of Microbiology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi (National University of Medical Sciences)/Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi from June 1, 2019 to January 1, 2020. A total of 150 patients were enrolled out of which 85 samples were collected from the skin lesions. These were evaluated through histopathology and Polymerase chain reaction assay. A forward and reverse primer were used to identify species. Primers of four leishmania species. i.e., leishmania tropica, Leishmania infantum, leishmania major, leishmania aethiopica were used. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.
Results: Out of 85 samples, 85 (100%) were positive for cutaneous leishmaniasis by histopathology and 84 (98.82 %) were positive by polymerase chain reaction. Out of positive 85 specimens, 7 (8.24%) were female and 78 (91.76%) were male. Sensitivity of Polymerase chain reaction was 100%, specificity 98%, positive predictive value 98% and negative predictive value 100%, as compared to histopathology.
Conclusion: Polymerase chain reaction and histopathology both are quick and reliable methods to detect leishmania parasite. Polymerase chain reaction has advantage over histopathology that species can only be identified using it and it eliminates user bias and sensitivity and specificity of Polymerase chain reaction is also high.
Key words: Histopathological diagnosis, leishmainasis, polymerase chain reaction.
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