Cutaneous leishmaniasis(CL)is a prevalent parasitic infection , it has a wide distribution and is endemic in circumscribed areas in Northeastern Africa, Southern Europe, the Middle East, Mexico, and Central and South America. Twelve million people in over 90 countries are affected by leishmaniasis, with an annual incidence of 0.9 to 1.6 million, between 20,000 and 30,000 deaths per year, and 350 million people at risk of contracting the infection. Leishmaniasis is considered to be one of the six parasitic diseases with high priority, second only to malaria. Cutaneous leishmaniasis represent a socioeconomic burden on the affected communities. Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis (OWCL), mainly seen in the Eastern hemisphere, is caused by L. donovani, L. infantum, L. major, L. tropica and L. aethiopica, and New World cutaneous leishmaniasis (NWCL), which is more common in Central and South America, is predominantly caused by L.braziliensis, L.panamensis, L. guyanensis, L. amazonensis, L. mexicana and L. peruviana. Disseminated CL,mostly reported in north-eastern Brazil ,is comparatively more drug sensitive and manageable than diffuse CL which is more likely to be drug resistant. Moreover, the diffuse CL due to L. mexicana and L. amazonensis is considered a more difficult form to treat with contemporary treatment methods.CL causes skin lesions upon exposure to infection and leaves disfiguring scars and disabilities. Lesions caused by (CL) may be limited to a specific region on the skin (localized CL) or give rise to multiple lesions on a large area of the body (diffused CL and disseminated CL), which are notoriously difficult to treat. Moreover, the clinical presentation of CL lesions may vary depending on the host immunity and causative Leishmania species. Although typical CL lesions are painless and tend to self-heal in 3–18 months, in some cases, particularly the ones caused by L. tropica, L. major and L. aethiopica, are associated with long-lasting multiple lesions and severe scarring. Although typical CL lesions are painless and tend to self-heal in 3–18 months, in some cases, particularly the ones caused by L. tropica, L. major and L. aethiopica, are associated with long-lasting multiple lesions and severe scarring. Available treatment options are expensive and associated with systemic toxicity. There are alarming reports of emerging resistance against the currently in use therapeutics. Comparative controlled trials for the effective and the least harmful treatment modalities are lacking. Leishmania major appears predominantly susceptible to most of the current treatment methods unlike other CL causing parasite species.