Leprosy.
BACKGROUND
The World Health Organization field leprosy classification is based on the number of skin lesions: single-lesion leprosy (1 lesion), paucibacillary leprosy (2-5 skin lesions), and multibacillary leprosy (more than 5 skin lesions). Worldwide, about 720,000 new cases of leprosy are reported each year, and about 2 million people have leprosy-related disabilities.


METHODS
We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of interventions to prevent leprosy? What are the effects of treatments for leprosy? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library and other important databases up to March 2006 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically, please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).


RESULTS
We found 20 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.


CONCLUSIONS
In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) plus killed Mycobacterium leprae vaccine; BCG vaccine; ICRC vaccine; multidrug treatment; multiple-dose treatment; mycobacterium w vaccine; single-dose treatment.
Lockwood
Diana Nj
DNj
London School of Hygiene & Topical Medicine and The Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, UK.
D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000188:drug therapy; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous; D056006:Leprosy, Multibacillary; D056005:Leprosy, Paucibacillary; D015441:Leprosy, Tuberculoid; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae; D014944:World Health Organization
D001500:BCG Vaccine