Amastigotes are the most commonly seen form of Leishmania species in humans. These non-motile forms of the parasite are round-to-oval, measure 2-4 micrometers in diameter, and have a small nucleus and rod-shaped kinetoplast (see accompanying schematic). They reside within phagocytic cells such as macrophages and are best appreciated on air-dried touch preparations.

You can view whole slide images of leishmaniasis in the skin HERE (H&E), Giemsa stain HERE, and Gram stain HERE. Finally, a whole slide image of Histoplasma sp in the skin can be viewed HERE for comparison between Histoplasma and Leishmania.