Efficacy and safety of glucantime for cutaneous leishmaniasis - eight years experience at a tertiary care hospital of Karachi

ABSTRACT

To observe the efficacy and adverse effect profile of Glucantime in treatment of cutanous leishmaniasis. Cross sectional study. This study was conducted in Dermatology Department, JPMC Karachi from Jan 2007 to Jan 2015. 252 patients of CL, diagnosed clinically and confirmed parasitologically were treated with injection glucantime. After taking history and physical examination, baseline complete blood count ,Liver function tests, Renal function tests and ECG were performed. 76 patients were treated with intralesional injection and 156 patients were treated with intramuscular Glucantime. Treatment response was observed and adverse effects were noted. The data was recorded and analysed on SPSS version 16. Mean +/- SD was calculated for continuous variables like age, duration of disease. Categorical values like gender, type, morphology, site of lesions efficacy and adverse effects were recorded as numbers and percentages. The mean age of I/L group was 31.4 +/- 11.6 and for I/M group. Efficacy of Intramuscular Glucantime was76.3% in intralesional group and 86.9%in intramuscular group. Adverse effects were seen in 25 % of intralesional and 26.9 % of intramuscular group. Glucantime is effective and well tolerated drug in Old world CL both by intramuscular or intralesional route