Azithromycin in the treatment of mucosal leishmaniasis.
This report describes three elderly patients with mucosal form of American tegumentary leishmaniasis associated with chronic cardiopathy. Due to the known toxicity of classical drugs with activity against Leishmania sp., the patients received three oral courses of azithromycin therapy in single 500 mg daily dose during ten days, every other month. All lesions healed after the third series. One of the patients relapsed and a new series of azithromycin was prescribed. Azithromycin may be an alternative drug for the treatment of leishmaniasis in special situations due to its optimal mucosal and intraphagocyte concentration, single daily posology, high tolerance and oral administration. The mechanism of this drug on Leishmania sp. is unknown at present.
Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil. dip_fmtm@mednet.com.br
Mario León
ML
Silva-Vergara
Luciana de Almeida
Lde A
Silva
Frederico Ricardo Zago
FR
Maneira
Achilles Gustavo
AG
da Silva
Aluízio
A
Prata
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007897:Leishmaniasis, Mucocutaneous / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017963:Azithromycin