Prevention of repeated episodes of type 2 reaction of leprosy with the use of thalidomide 100 mg/day
An. bras. dermatol
;
89(2): 266-272, Mar-Apr/2014. tab, graf
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-706985
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Leprosy can have its course interrupted by type 1 and 2 reactional episodes, the last named of erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL). Thalidomide has been the medication of choice for the control of ENL episodes since 1965.OBJECTIVES:
These episodes can repeat and cause damages to the patient. In order to prevent these episodes, an extra dose of 100 mg/day thalidomide was used during six months, followed by a follow-up period of six more months after thalidomide discontinuation.METHODS:
We included 42 patients with multibacillary (MB) leprosy who had episodes of ENL. They were male and female patients aged between 18 and 84 years.RESULTS:
Of the 42 patients, 39 (92.85%) had the lepromatous form and three (7.15%) had the borderline form. We found that 100% of patients had no reactional episode during the use of the drug. During the follow-up period after thalidomide discontinuation, 33 (78.57%) patients had no reactional episode and nine (21.43%), all of them with the lepromatous form, had mild episodes, which were controlled using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. There were no thalidomide-related side effects.CONCLUSION:
A maintenance dose of 100 mg/day of thalidomide showed to be effective to prevent repeated type 2 reactional episodes of ENL. .
Full text:
Available
Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Thalidomide
/
Leprosy, Borderline
/
Leprosy, Lepromatous
/
Erythema Nodosum
/
Leprostatic Agents
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
Journal:
An. bras. dermatol
Journal subject:
Dermatology
Year:
2014
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil
Institution/Affiliation country:
Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho"/BR
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