Material and Method: Our study included 28 patients diagnosed with cutaneous leishmaniasis at the Pathology Department of Akdeniz University Medical Faculty. Histopathological sections were stained with Haematoxylin-Eosin, Giemsa or Leishman for visual examination of cellular components by two dermatopathologists. The epidermal (acanthosis, hyper-parakeratosis, atrophy, lymphocytic exocytosis) and dermal changes that may indicate lymphohistiocytic infiltration and granuloma formation were investigated. The parasitic load was classified according to the modified Ridley's parasitic index.

Results: Out of 28 cases, 11 had hyperparakeratosis, 17 had orthokeratosis, 20 had acanthosis, 4 had epidermal atrophy, and 7 had exocytosis. Typical epithelioid cell granulomas with giant cells and a rim of lymphocytes were present in 16 cases. Leishman-Donovan bodies were extremely rare in typical granulomatous lesions. The other 12 cases showed lymphohistiositic infiltration, giant cells and prominent plasma cells. There were numerous Leishman-Donovan bodies in these lesions.