The Diagnostic Utility of PCR in FFPE Skin Biopsies with Inconclusive Histopathology for Suspected Cutaneous…

StudyTropical medicine and infectious disease· Aug 2025

The Diagnostic Utility of PCR in FFPE Skin Biopsies with Inconclusive Histopathology for Suspected Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: A Pilot Study from Colombia.

Julio César Mantilla, Nathalia Andrea Bueno, Juan Pablo Alvarez … Martha Lucía Díaz

DermatopathologyStudyDiagnosisQ1IF 3.3

Polymerase chain reaction detected Leishmania DNA in half of histopathology-inconclusive skin biopsies

The Diagnostic Utility of PCR in FFPE Skin Biopsies with Inconclusive Histopathology for Suspected Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: A Pilot Study from Colombia.

Julio César Mantilla … Martha Lucía Díaz

Tropical medicine and infectious disease · Aug 2025

Background

UNLABELLED: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (Cutaneous Leishmaniasis) is a tropical disease endemic in many regions of Latin America.

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the utility of polymerase chain reaction (polymerase chain reaction) as a confirmatory diagnostic tool for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsies with inconclusive histopathology.

Methods

We analyzed 16 FFPE skin biopsy samples from patients with clinical suspicion of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

n = 16 samples

Results

50%

Polymerase chain reaction confirmed infection in half the biopsies histopathology could not diagnose

n = 16 samples

More results

These findings highlight the additional benefits of molecular tools in cases with inconclusive histopathology, thereby enhancing diagnostic accuracy and enabling species-level identification in certain instances.

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

Polymerase chain reaction proved to be a valuable diagnostic complement to histopathology in clinically and histologically suspected cases of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis without visible parasites.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

Its implementation may improve diagnostic accuracy and timely treatment in endemic areas.

The Diagnostic Utility of PCR in FFPE Skin Biopsies with Inconclusive Histopathology for Suspected Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: A Pilot Study from Colombia.

The Diagnostic Utility of PCR in FFPE Skin Biopsies with Inconclusive Histopathology for Suspected Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: A Pilot Study from Colombia.

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