Oral administration of zinc sulphate in treatment of acute cutaneous leishmaniasis

Due to increasing unresponsiveness and significant side effects associated with antimonial compounds, alternative therapeutic modalities are suggested. Recently oral zinc sulphate has been reported to be effective in the treatment of CL. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of oral zinc sulphate in the treatment of CL. The present study comprised 31 patients with clinical diagnosis of dry type leishmaniasis and parasitologically proven cutaneous leishmaniasis of which 22 patients received a full course of treatment. Patients were treated with 10 mg/Kg/day of oral zinc sulphate for 45 days and were followed through 20 and 45 days of treatment as well as 45 days after cessation of therapy. Only 2 [9%] of 22 patients were cured after 45 days of treatment with zinc sulphate. The administration of zinc sulphate for the treatment of CL seemed to be of inadequate therapeutic value

[Cutaneous manifestations of patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis]

There are various kinds of cutaneous manifestations in the end stage renal disease [ESRD] which may present or associate with it. The goal of this study has evaluated cutaneous manifestations of patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis. In a descriptive study from April to September of 2002 cutaneous signs and symptoms of patients with ESRD who were being dialyzed in three referral hospital in Mashhad were recorded. Serum levels of PTH, Ca, P were determined and correlation of them with pruritus were studied. Data collected by questionnaire and analyzed by descriptive statistics. Eighty-two patients with ESRD were admitted in this period of which 12 cases were excluded during the study and 70 completed it. The most common symptom was pruritus in 70% of cases. Signs include dryness of skin in 50%, skin color change in 71/5%, and half and half nail in 30%. Serum PTH level in patients with pruritus was higher than patients without pruritus [P=0.01] but there were not any significant difference in serum Calcium and phosphorus levels in two groups [P> 0.05]. Although the frequency of cutaneous manifestations in ESRD were similar but in few instance our results were not similar to the western countries. Factors such as race, climates, socioeconomic state... may have some role in these difference

[Comparison between intralesional glucantime injection and cryotherapy in papular cutaneous leishmaniasis]

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic in Iran and there are different systemic and local treatments for this disease. There is continuous investigation for finding the most efficient and economical method with little side effects for the treatment of cutaneous leishemaniasis. For this purpose we performed a comparative study between intralesional glucantime injection and cryotherapy in the treatment of papular cutaneous leishmaniasis. In this clinical trial 47 patients with papular cutaneous leishmaniasis refered to dermatology clinic of Ghaem hospital in Mashhad were assayed. All patients had positive direct smears. They divided randomly in two groups. First group treated by weekly intralesional glucantime injection and second group treated by weekly cryotherapy. The length of therapy for two groups was 5 weeks. Two groups were followed for 1.5 months after the last week of the treatment. Thirty eight patients completed the study, 21 patients with 35 lesions and 17 patients with 36 lesions were treated by intralesional injection of glucantime and cryotherapy respectively. Clinically in intralesional glucantime group 37.1% of lesions and in cryotherapy group 22.2% of lesions completely cured. The difference between two groups was not statistically significant using chi-square test. Cryotherapy in comparison with interalesional glucantime injection is equally effective and also is cheaper with little side effect