title: Response of leprosy patients with single lesions to MDT.
abstract: This study reports the clinical profile and therapeutic response of seventy-two mono-lesions leprosy cases. These 72 cases were among 578 paucibacillary (PB) cases classified according to WHO (1982) and were followed-up on multidrug therapy (MDT). Of these 72 mono-lesion cases, 46 (64%) were tuberculoid (TT) cases, 24 (33%) were Indeterminate (Ind) cases and 2 (3%) were of borderline tuberculoid (BT) types. While 37.5% of these cases presented as macular patches, the remaining 62.5% had raised erythematous lesions. In majority of cases (94%), the lesions were present on the exposed parts like legs and feet, arms and hands, face, whereas only 6% presented on covered areas of trunk and buttocks. These cases were treated with dapsone 100 mg daily for 12 months and rifampicin 600 mg once a month for 6 months. After 6 months of MDT, lesions in 81% of the patients regressed clinically and by one year of therapy 96% of cases had regressed. Treatment was stopped in all cases by one year of therapy. There were no relapse or late reaction in the 5 years of post treatment follow-up. The response of mono-lesion PB cases was better than the multi-lesions PB cases at 6 months and during the post treatment follow-up period.
authors.affiliation: Central JALMA Institute for Leprosy, Tajganj, Agra, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katoch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Natrajan
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Bhatia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm; D003622:Dapsone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005148:Facial Dermatoses / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007868:Leg Dermatoses / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D015439:Leprosy, Borderline / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D015441:Leprosy, Tuberculoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction; D012293:Rifampin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D003622:Dapsone; D012293:Rifampin