Auricular Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in South Korea: After Traveling to Mexico and the Galapagos Islands

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a globally significant infectious disease. In Mexico, CL caused by L. mexicana affects the auricle and is commonly refered to as Chiclero’s ulcer. In this particular case, a patient presented to our department with concerns of an ulcer and discharge on left external ear. Initially, our suspicions leaned towards perichondritis or cutaneous tuberculosis given the patient’s age, sex and prevalence factors. However, after conducting a thorough history-taking and performing real-time polymerase chain reaction on a biopsy sample, we ultimately diagnosed it as CL. The wound improved dramatically after administration of meglumine antimoniate. This case underscores the challenges associated with diagnosing CL, particularly when it occurs in non-endemic regions. It also emphasizes considering overseas infections in patients with atypical diseases courses.