Efficacy and toxicity of sodium stibogluconate for mucosal leishmaniasis

OBJECTIVE

To determine the efficacy and toxicity of the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended treatment for mucosal leishmaniasis: antimony, 20 mg/kg body weight per day for 28 days.

DESIGN

Open trial with 12-month follow-up.

SETTING

Inpatient unit of a regional referral hospital in a developing country.

PATIENTS

Twenty-nine consecutive eligible patients with culture-confirmed infection of the mucosa with Leishmania species who were otherwise healthy. Eight patients (28%) had mild to moderate disease (confined to the nasal mucosa). Twenty-one patients (72%) had severe disease (including the oropharynx as well as the nasal mucosa).

INTERVENTION

Antimony, 20 mg/kg body weight intravenously every day for 28 days. Patients received antimony in the form of sodium stibogluconate.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Initial results of therapy were as follows: 63 of 72 lesions (88%) healed or markedly improved; all lesions were culture-negative for parasites; and 18 of 29 patients (62%) showed complete clinical and parasitologic cure of all lesions. By the 12-month follow-up examinations, however, 37 lesions had recurred, 8 new lesions had appeared, and only 8 patients (30%) showed clinical cure of all lesions. Of the 8 patients with mild to moderate disease, 6 were cured compared with only 2 of the 21 patients with severe disease. Side effects of this treatment regimen included T-wave inversion on electrocardiogram (4 patients), abnormal liver function tests (10 patients), and musculoskeletal pain (24 patients). No side effects occurred during week 1 of therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The only recommended treatment for mucosal leishmaniasis is ineffective in patients with severe disease. The acceptable toxicity of the regimen suggests that longer courses of therapy with antimony, or that trials with other antileishmanial agents alone or combined with antimony be evaluated as initial therapy for this disease.

Place of cystectomy in superficial bladder cancer

Between January 1978 and June 1985, 44 patients underwent cystectomy for clinically diagnosed superficial bladder cancer. Operative mortality was 13.6%. Early and late complications were observed in 34 and 55% patients, respectively. Clinical understaging was seen in 23%, and stage reduction in 18% of the patients. Clinical staging was correct in 59% of the patients. The mean follow-up was 40 months (range, 24-84 months). Five patients presented local recurrence (13%) of the tumor and 10 patients showed distant metastases (26%). Urethral and upper urinary tract recurrences were observed in 7 and 4 patients, respectively. Fourteen patients (39%) died of cancer after a mean follow-up of 24 months. The actuarial 5-year survival was achieved by 77% of the patients with PTo-PTa-PTis and by 67% of the patients with PT1 (p, not significant).