title: [Thalidomide used by patients with erythema nodosum leprosum].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Toxicologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA.
authors.forename: Maria do Socorro da Silva
authors.initials: Mdo S
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: José Luiz Fernandes
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vieira
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D007917:Leprostatic Agents; D013792:Thalidomide