title: An attempt to reduce the loss of pain and touch sensations in leprosy patients.
abstract: An attempt was made to improve the perception of pain and touch sensations at the leprosy lesions. The loss of pain and touch sensations in a lesion was graded using Pain/Touch-Sensation-Testing-and-Grading devices. Application of a solution containing 1 mg of histamine per ml of DMSO, at the affected area decreased the grades of the loss of pain sensation in 11 (31.4%) patients and of touch sensation in 8 (22.8%) patients, out of the 35 patients tested, indicating an improvement in the perception at the lesion. This effect, however, did not persist even for 5 minutes. A higher concentration (2 mg/ml) of histamine produced reduction in the sensory loss in a larger percentage (47% for pain and 35.3% for touch) of patients, though the duration of this effect was still not prolonged.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006632:Histamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000187:drug effects; D013697:Thermosensing / Q000187:drug effects; D014110:Touch
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D006632:Histamine; C027556:histamine phosphate; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide