title: Clinical characteristics and outcome in multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients treated with 12 months WHO MDT-MBR: a retrospective analysis of 730 patients from a leprosy clinic at a tertiary care hospital of Northern India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Shortened (12 months) multidrug multibacillary regimen (MDT MBR) was implemented in India in 1998, however there is yet a paucity of crucial data on its long-term outcome.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the efficacy of 12 months MDT MBR in multibacillary (MB) patients at our centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study undertaken analysing the clinic records of 1210 patients registered at the leprosy clinic of our institute from 1999 to 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  730 MB patients were treated with 12 months MDT MBR over this period. High bacillary index (BI) > or = 3 + was observed in 313 patients at the time of registration. Four hundred and one (54.9%) patients experienced lepra reactions. Recurrent ENL was observed in only 14 patients which manifested even after 5 years of stopping treatment. Clinico-histological correlation was noted in 361 (49.5%) patients. During follow up period ranging from 9 months to 10 years, nearly all patients had clearance of skin lesions including histopathological/bacteriological improvement. Only 13 (1.7%) patients relapsed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All patients responded well with 12 months MDT MBR without significant side effects. The overall relapse rate was only 1.7%. Thus, the recommendation for 12 months MDT MBR for all MB patients is robust and operationally practical, a decision which seems logical.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India. sundogra@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dogra
authors.forename: Muthu Sendhil
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kumaran
authors.forename: Tarun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Narang
authors.forename: Bishan Dass
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Radotra
authors.forename: Bhushan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007917:Leprostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D056006:Leprosy, Multibacillary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D063128:Tertiary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014944:World Health Organization; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007917:Leprostatic Agents