Clinical features, epidemiology, and efficacy and safety of intralesional antimony treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis: recent experience in Turkey.
A total of 1,030 patients, 40.2% men and 59.8% women, identified during the period of October 1998 to November 2002 as having cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), were studied; 1,431 lesions were identified in the 1,030 patients. One lesion was present in 80.7% of the patients. The size of the lesions (longest axis) was 13.6 mm (standard, 12.1 mm; range 3-150 mm). Most of the lesions were of the papular type (51.2%), although several atypical clinical presentations of CL were observed. The duration of the disease ranged between 1 and 72 mo (mean duration, 10.8 mo). The clinical suspicion of CL was confirmed by the observation of amastigotes on lesion tissue samples stained by Giemsa. The test was positive in 851 of 1,030 patients (82.6%). Intralesional meglumine antimonate solution (85 mg Sb/ml, 0.2-1 ml, depending on the size of the lesion) weekly until complete cure or up to 20 wk was used for first-line therapy of 890 patients (86.4%). We found that this regimen of intralesional Sb has an efficacy of 97.2% with a low relapse rate of 3.9% and no serious adverse side effects.
Uzun
Soner
S
Department of Dermatology, Cukurova University School of Medicine, Adana 01330, Turkey. sonuzun@hotmail.com
Durdu
Murat
M
Culha
Gulnaz
G
Allahverdiyev
Adil M
AM
Memisoglu
Hamdi R
HR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D000965:Antimony / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003452:Cryosurgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D000965:Antimony