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Treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis with a combination of allopurinol and low‐dose meglumine antimoniate
Author(s) -
Momeni Ali Z.,
Reiszadae Mohamad Reza,
Aminjavaheri Malihalsadat
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
international journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-4632
pISSN - 0011-9059
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-4362.2002.01527.x
Subject(s) - meglumine antimoniate , medicine , cutaneous leishmaniasis , allopurinol , meglumine , leishmaniasis , gastroenterology , surgery , immunology , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology
The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of a combination of allopurinol (AL) and low‐dose meglumine antimoniate (MA) with standard‐dose MA in cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major . An open, controlled study was performed. Seventy‐two patients were randomly selected from volunteers with cutaneous leishmaniasis living in a hyperendemic area. Exclusion criteria included pregnancy, nursing vs. gestation, age less than 5 years, and duration of disease of more than 4 months. Each patient received MA (60 mg/kg/day) or AL (20 mg/kg/day) plus low‐dose MA (30 mg/kg/day) for 20 days, and was followed up for 30 days after cessation of treatment. The study was completed as planned in 66 patients. Complete healing occurred in 74.2% of patients in the MA group and in 80.6% of patients in the MA + AL group. No difference was found between the two groups with respect to side‐effects. The combination of AL and MA increases the anti‐leishmanial effects of antimoniate. In this study, it was confirmed that low‐dose MA plus AL is as effective as high‐dose MA in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. major .