Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz ISSN: 1678-8060 EISSN: 1678-8060 Vol. 92, Num. 1, 1997, pp. 87

RESEARCH NOTE

A Scarifier for Obtaining Specimens for Diagnosis of Leishmaniasis and Other Skin Infections

Roberto Daibes Naiff

Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia, Coordenacao de Pesquisas em Ciencias da Saude, Caixa Postal 478, 69011-970 Manaus, AM, Brasil
Fax: +55-92-643.3061

Code Number:OC97017
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Key words: leishmaniasis - diagnosis - dermatology - instruments

During the course of our work on leishmaniasis in the Amazon Region, we have felt the need for a practical instrument for collecting and manipulating lymph samples from skin and mucosal lesions in human subjects. Existing methods for obtaining biopsy material or exudates include the use of scalpel blades, disposable stylets, wooden toothpicks, dermatological punches and aspiration with or without saline (Ministerio da Saude 1993 Guia de Controle da Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana, L Hendricks & N Wright 1979 Am J Trop Med Hyg 28: 962-964, MCA Marzochi et al. 1993 Rev Inst Med Trop S Paulo 35: 301-303). Preparation of biopsies for culture or inoculation in hamsters also usually involves the use of local anaesthetic, forceps and scissors. Disposable instruments may be locally unavailable, or become costly if used routinely, and handling with multiple instruments increases the risk of contamination. In our experience, material for culture is best collected by simple means without anaesthetic and in cutaneous leishmaniasis biopsies are necessary only for histopathological studies. We have developed a practical and economical instrument (Fig. 1) for the collection (Fig. 2) of exudate from skin and accessible mucosal lesions, which allows the specimem to be manipulated directly for seeding into culture media (Fig. 3) or the preparation of smears for microscopy (Fig. 4). Material collected with this instrument may also be macerated and suspended in physiological saline for inoculation into hamsters.

(Figures 1-4.)
Fig. 1: Naiff 's Scarifier. Collection and manipulation of exudate.
Fig. 2: collection of material from skin lesion.
Fig. 3 seeding culture medium.
Fig. 4: preparation of smears (centrifugal spiral action).

Acknowledgments: to Artemio Coelho da Silva and Jorge Saldanha for the illustrations and to Dr Toby Barrett for critical reading of the manuscript.

Received 9 May 1996
Accepted 10 October 1996

Copyright 1996 Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz

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