Treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis with cryosurgery.

Background: The management of cutaneous leishmaniasis with topical methods, if effective, can spare patients from long and costly inpatient treatments.

Methods: Seventeen patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis were treated with cryosurgery using liquid nitrogen as the cryogen. Two cycles of 10-30 s freezing time were used and repeated at 3-week intervals.