Comparative study of oral azithromycin and systemic meglumine antimoniate [Glucantime] in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis

Complications and resistance to pentavalent antimonial agents in cutaneous leishmaniasis, exhibit the need for effective alternative drugs. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of oral azithromycin with systemic meglumine antimoniate [Glucantime] in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Forty-seven patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis visited at the dermatology department of Qaem hospital were randomly divided to two groups. Twenty patients [with 29 lesions] were treated with oral azithromycin 500 mg/day for 5 successive days each month for 4 months and 27 patients [with 58 lesions] were treated with systemic Glucantime 60 mg/kg/day for 20 days. Azithromycin group patients were visited monthly and control group patients were visited in last day of treatment and 45 days later. At the end of our study 10.3% of lesions in azithromycin group showed complete response, 27.6% lesions partial response and 62.1% no response. In Glucantime group 34.5% of lesions showed complete response, 13.8% partial response and 51.7% no response [P=0.036]. In treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis systemic Glucantime is superior to oral azithromycin. Differences between our result and previous studies may be due to difference between strains of Leishmanias and in vitro studies may be necessary to resolve this paradox. On the other h and, change in dosage and course of treatment with azithromycin may affect the efficacy of this agent

descriptive study on patients with pityriasis rosea admitted to dermatology clinic at Qaem | Hospital, Mashhad [2000-2002]

Pityriasis rosea [PR] is a transient skin disease with a distinct appearance that is prevalent throughout the world and is more frequently seen in winter. Despite the reported epidemiological evidence, which account for an infective agent, this has not been proved, yet. This study was designed to determine the epidemiological features of PR in terms of age, gender, seasonal, and clinical features. In this survery, age, gender, time of referring, history of common cold, herald patch location, itching, as well as clinical manifestations among 251 patients with PR referred to dermatology clinic of Qaem Hospital in Mashhad from October 2001 to March 2003 were studied. The female/ male ratio was 2.07/1. The largest breakout was observed among patients aged between 15-30 years. The majority of them referred in autumn [32.9%] in October [14.7%], and November [11.5%]. 17.9% of patients complained of itching and 7.6% of patients had purpuric PR lesions. One-hundred and forty-six [58.2%] patients complained of a history of common cold two months prior to admission and the percentage of patients with common cold was 65.8% in fall and 64.2% in winter. Because of a large breakout of disease in winter and a high rate of common cold in cold seasons, more research still is needed to prove the infective etiological factor, particularly viral factors