[Thalidomide used by patients with erythema nodosum leprosum].
BACKGROUND
Thalidomide is a drug currently used in Brazil for treating erythema nodosum leprosum.


METHODS
This was a prospective study to follow up clinical evolution, record adverse events and determine plasma thalidomide levels from a dose of 100 mg/day, among 20 patients with clinical manifestations of erythema nodosum leprosum, divided into two groups: during or after leprosy multidrug therapy.


RESULTS
No significant differences between the groups were seen during the study, either in relation to favorable clinical evolution among the patients (70% and 90%), or in relation to the adverse events recorded, which were dizziness and somnolence. The plasma thalidomide levels on D7 and D14 were 0.82 + or - 0.4 microg/ml and 0.79 + or - 0.3 microg/ml in group 1 and 0.82 + or - 0.4 and 1.55 + or - 1.0 in group 2, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
In this sample, the multidrug therapy had no effect on the clinical evolution, incidence of adverse events and plasma thalidomide levels.
Valente
Maria do Socorro da Silva
Mdo S
Laboratório de Toxicologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA.
Vieira
José Luiz Fernandes
JL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004893:Erythema Nodosum / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007917:Leprostatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
D007917:Leprostatic Agents; D013792:Thalidomide