title: Efficacy of a weekly cryotherapy regimen to treat Leishmania major cutaneous leishmaniasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antileishmanial chemotherapy can have adverse effects and may fail to cure patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of a weekly cryotherapy regimen in patients with confirmed Leishmania major infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred twenty Jordanian patients with 375 lesions were treated with cryotherapy performed once weekly in 1 to 7 sessions. This regimen was adopted since living parasites were recovered, in several CL patients, even after 3 cryosessions. Scarring was assessed in 78 patients 3 years after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 84% of the lesions were cured after 1 to 4 sessions. The remaining lesions (16.3%) were cured after an additional 1 to 3 session(s). Cryotherapy caused mild adverse side effects and most of the patients were cured with negligible scarring. Statistically, the lesion size and location significantly affected the clinical response to cryotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A fraction of patients was followed up 3 years after healing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cryotherapy with weekly intervals for 1 to 4 sessions is effective to treat L major CL, especially for smaller lesions. Extra sessions may be necessary to cure larger lesions. The cosmetic results are very good and no relapses were registered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. i.mosleh@ju.edu.jo
authors.forename: Ibrahim M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Mosleh
authors.forename: Eid
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Geith
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Natsheh
authors.forename: Gabrielle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schönian
authors.forename: Nabil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abotteen
authors.forename: Sa'ad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kharabsheh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018320:Leishmania major; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged