title: The incubation time of relapses after treatment of multibacillary leprosy with rifampicin containing regimens.
abstract: In order to determine the duration of follow-up needed to evaluate the efficacy of short-course bactericidal regimens for multibacillary leprosy, information is needed on the incubation time of relapses after stopping treatment. Several groups of patients, who had been on rifampicin-containing regimens, were followed up for periods ranging from 4 to 10 years. Two groups of relapses were observed: early relapses occurring within 3.5 years after stopping treatment, with a median incubation time of 1 year and 10 months (upper limit of 95% confidence interval: 2 years); and late relapses occurring more than 3.5 years after stopping treatment, with a median incubation of 5 years. Early relapses are probably due to insufficient treatment, and late relapses to persisting bacilli or to reinfection. It is concluded that the efficacy of short-course RMP-containing therapeutic regimens can be evaluated by observing the occurrence of early relapses, 50% of which occur before 2 years after the end of therapy.
authors.affiliation: University of Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Pattyn
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Groenen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bourland
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Muynck
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grillone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grossetete
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Husser
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Janssens
mesh_terms: D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D012293:Rifampin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D012293:Rifampin