Background: An easy and effective topical treatment is not yet available for cutaneous leishmaniasis Objective: To compare the effect of topical trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and intralesional glucantime injection in the treatment of acute wet cutaneous leishmaniasis Patients & Methods: Eighty patients with clinical diagnosis of wet cutaneous leishmaniasis in the age renge of 5 to 75 years were recruited in this open clinical trial. Seven patients were withdrown during the trial. In TCA group, 38 patients were treated three times (every 2 weeks) with 50% TCA. In control group, 35 patients received intralesional glucantime injections weekly until healing or for a maximum of 6 weeks All patients were followed for 3 months after last treatment Results: After four weeks of treatment, 20 patients (52.6%) in TCA group and 17 patients (48.5%) in glucontime group, and after six weeks, 68% and 65.7% of patients in each respective group were completely cured There was no important side effect in any groups Conclusion: The nearly equal efficacy of TCA peeling and inCralesional glucantime injection in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis suggests that 50% TCA could be considered as a possible efficient therapeutic alternative in the management of this disease
