title: Leprosy reactions--complications of steroid therapy.
abstract: The adverse effects of corticosteroid therapy while treating 830 patients suffering from leprosy reaction (type 1 = 581; type 2 = 249) are presented. Some of the adverse effects were cosmetically distressing, while others were disabling. Patients suffering from type 2 reaction--because of the tendency of the reaction to recur over a long time--needed steroids for a longer duration; hence, adverse effects were more frequent. Measures to counter some of the adverse effects are suggested and the need to identify drugs with potentially less adverse effects is emphasized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Schieffelin Leprosy & Research Training Centre, Tamil Nadu, South India.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Sugumaran
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D002386:Cataract / Q000139:chemically induced; D005756:Gastritis / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007918:Leprosy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000139:chemically induced; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial