Active leprosy treated effectively with ofloxacin.
The patient is a 25-year-old Filipino who showed polymorphous eruptions over the whole body, right ulnar nerve paresis, polyneuropathy and hypalgesia in the area of eruptions. Because the biopsy specimen showed foam cells, histiocytes, epithelioid cells, many Mycobacterium leprae and no giant cells, the diagnosis of borderline-lepromatous (BL) type was made. The symptoms were improved by the administration of 300 mg/day ofloxacin. Because the monotherapy using ofloxacin has been reported to be effective in all 5 previously reported cases of BL type leprosy, it may be recommended for a larger number of leprosy cases.
Department of Neurology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo.
Y
Y
Mochizuki
M
M
Oishi
C
C
Nishiyama
T
T
Iida
D000328:Adult; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D015242:Ofloxacin