Diagnosis of Leishmaniasis Light microscopy of Wright-Giemsa or Giemsa-stained tissue samples, touch preparations, or aspirates Antibody titers for visceral leishmaniasis, but not for cutaneous or mucosal leishmaniasis Culture (special media required) Polymerase chain reaction-based assays Parasites are usually difficult to find or isolate in culture from biopsies of mucosal lesions.