Cutaneous leishmaniasis: schedules for intralesional treatment with sodium stibogluconate.
BACKGROUND
Various therapeutic modalities have been used for treating cutaneous leishmaniasis. Intralesional pentavalent antimonial injection is one of the effective therapeutic modalities. In this study, the efficacy of three different intralesional schedules with sodium stibogluconate have been investigated.


METHODS
Ninety-six patients with 129 lesions were entered into the study, all with confirmed diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis. The lesions were treated with three different schedules, including daily, alternate day, and weekly interlesional injections of sodium stibogluconate. The clinical response was then compared to arrive at the most effective schedule.


RESULTS
The clinical responses (complete and partial cure) were 67%, 97%, and 91% for the daily, alternate-day, and weekly schedules, respectively. Lesions with either partial cure or failure of treatment were injected weekly with the same medication until complete cure had been achieved. The final overall success rate of complete cure was 99.2%.


CONCLUSIONS
Alternate day or weekly intralesional treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis with sodium stibogluconate are more effective than daily treatments.
Tallab
T M
TM
Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Abha Branch, Asir Central Hospital, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Bahamdam
K A
KA
Mirdad
S
S
Johargi
H
H
Mourad
M M
MM
Ibrahim
K
K
el Sherbini
A H
AH
Karkashan
E
E
Khare
A K
AK
Jamal
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007271:Injections, Intradermal; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate