title: Comparative study of the efficacy of combined cryotherapy and intralesional meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime) vs. cryotherapy and intralesional meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime) alone for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a parasitic disease caused by Leishmania species. There is a need for more effective and less time-consuming therapeutic methods for this condition.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of combined cryotherapy and intralesional meglumine antimoniate (MA) (Glucantime, Specia, Paris, France) for the treatment of CL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were divided into three groups: Group 1, 100 patients with 149 lesions were treated with cryotherapy plus intralesional MA; Group 2, 200 patients with 230 lesions were treated with cryotherapy; Group 3, 100 patients with 160 lesions were treated with intralesional MA. These groups were followed for 6 months after the end of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed complete cure in 90.9% of cases in Group 1, 57.15% of cases in Group 2, and 55.63% of cases in Group 3. The difference between Group 1 and the other groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined cryotherapy and intralesional MA is more effective than either cryotherapy or intralesional MA alone for the treatment of CL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Asilian
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sadeghinia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Faghihi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Momeni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D017679:Cryotherapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate