Hirudo medicinalis therapy causing Cutaneous pseudolymphoma: a case report

Medicinal leech therapy using Hirudo medicinalis is widely used in plastic surgery and is commonly applied for the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency. In this treatment, the blood-sucking leeches are applied at the affected site. Traditionally, leech therapy has been most often used in dermatological disorders. However, modern leech therapy is often used in the treatment of venous congestion associated with flap reconstructions and surgical replantation. It has also been used in traditional Persian medicine to treat dermatological diseases.Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved leech therapy for use in microsurgeries and plastic surgeries. Although some complications have been reported, such as bleeding, infection, allergic and inflammatory reactions, and anemia, cutaneous pseudo-lymphoma has only been described in rare cases following hirudotherapy. In this study, we report a woman who had undergone leech therapy for her acne, and a few weeks later, multiple red papules appeared at the sites of leech therapy. Histology confirmed that these lesions were pseudolymphoma.