Effectiveness of Carbon Dioxide Cryotherapy for the Treatment of Localized Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Background Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a public health problem in Ethiopia. Diagnosis is often delayed, and treatment options are limited. Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy is a recommended treatment but not widely available. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) cryotherapy is used for the prevention of cervical cancer and is widely available in Ethiopia and might be a suitable therapy for treating localized CL. Objectives The aim of this short report is to assess the effectiveness of carbon dioxide cryotherapy for the treatment of CL in CL treatment centre, Ethiopia. Methods We performed a prospective study assessing the effectiveness of CO 2 cryotherapy for the treatment of localized CL between September 2022 and June 2023 at an established CL treatment centre. Results Seventeen individuals with 24 CL lesions were enrolled. Twelve (70.6%) were confirmed using a skin slit smear and five by histopathology (29.4%). Nine (52.9%) individuals received a single session of CO 2 cryotherapy, five received two (29.4%) and three (17.65%) received three sessions of cryotherapy. At Day 90, 16 participants were assessed and 14 (82.4%) had healed. Conclusions CO 2 cryotherapy shows promise as a potential treatment strategy for CL. Formal evaluations are required.