Visceral leishmaniasis treatment, Italy.
First-line drug treatment was recorded in 573 immunocompetent patients with visceral leishmaniasis in Italy. In the past 12 years, the proportion of antimonial treatments decreased from 100% to 2.8%, while the proportion of amphotericin B treatments increased from 0% to 97.2%. The countrywide change in therapy is a response to both disease reemergence and increasing antimonial failure.
Gradoni
Luigi
L
Laboratorio di Parassitologia, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. gradoni@iss.it
Gramiccia
Marina
M
Scalone
Aldo
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D008536:Meglumine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010715:Phosphatidylglycerols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010715:Phosphatidylglycerols; C068538:liposomal amphotericin B; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D000666:Amphotericin B