Treatment of diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis with miltefosine: a case report.
BACKGROUND
A 31-year-old man who has suffered since age 3 from diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis (DCL), a disease with profound physical and psychosocial repercussions and no effective treatment at present, was treated with miltefosine.


METHODS
The patient was treated for 120 days, 100 mg/day for 1 week, then 150 mg/day subsequently.


RESULTS
Lesions were free of parasites at 43 days, and no signs of infiltration were present at day 76. No adverse side effects were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The dramatic clinical effect of miltefosine in this patient appears to fully justify further evaluation of this experimental therapy in DCL.
Zerpa
Olga
O
Institute of Biomedicine, Ministry of Health and Social Development and Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela. ozerpa@telcel.net.ve
Blanco
Belkys
B
Kannee
Carmen
C
Ulrich
Marian
M
Sindermann
Herbert
H
Engel
Juergen
J
Convit
Jacinto
J
D000328:Adult; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014860:Warts / Q000469:parasitology
D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D010767:Phosphorylcholine; C039128:miltefosine