Comparison of efficacy of oral fluconazole with intramuscular Glucantime in patients with acute cutaneous leishmaniasis

ABSTRACT

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an important skin parasitic disease. Ideal treatment is not found yet and seeking for proper drugs continues. Comparison of the efficacy of fluconazole with systemic Glucantime in patients with acute cutaneous leishmanisis in Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad in 2002 .During one year of study, all patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis were divided to two groups. Thirty-one patients were treated with oral fluconazole [100 mg twice a day] for 6 weeks and 29 patients were treated with intramuscular Glucantime [20 mgSb/kg] for 21 days. Both groups were evaluated 3 and 6 weeks after onset of treatment. T test and chi-square test were used for statistical analyses and P<0.05 was considered as significant. Six weeks after begining of treatment, clinical cure, improvement and failure were observed in 4 [12.9%],11 [35.5%] and 16 [51.5%] of patients treated with fluconazole, respectively. These figures were 11[37.9%], 10 [34.6%] and 8 [21.5%] of patients treated with Glucantime, respectively [P>0.05]. It seems that efficacy of fluconazole in acute cutaneous leishmaniasis is lower than Glucantime. A larger clinical trial is recommended