Longitudinal ocular survey of 202 Filipino patients with multi-bacillary (MB) leprosy treated with 2 year WHO-multiple drug therapy

The aim of this study was to describe the ocular conditions in multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients treated with 2 year WHO multiple drug therapy (MDT), consisting of dapsone, clofazimine and rifampin, a regimen expected to reduce ocular complications of leprosy. We conducted comprehensive eye examinations in 202 Filipino MB leprosy patients before, during, and after WHO 2 year MDT. Assessments were carried out for at least 5 years. Inflammatory "lepra" reactions occurred in 62% (reversal reaction, 52%; erythema nodosum leprosum, 10%); most were mild. Eye abnormalities consisted mostly of diminished corneal sensitivity before MDT (6%) and lagopthalmos (n = 7, 3.4%). Six of 7 lagopthalmos cases occurred in a subset of 132 patients with facial patches (5%). Visual acuity scores, intra-ocular pressures and pupil cycle times were unremarkable. Bacillary invasion, keratitis, episcleritis, iridocyclitis, ectropion, synechiae, glaucoma and cataract formation were not detected. Scleral clofazimine pigmentation was frequent, resolving in most within 3 years of treatment cessation. Facial patches at presentation may denote a higher risk for lagopthalmos. We propose the generally low rates of ocular problems reflected mild lepra reactions, due to anti-inflammatory properties of clofazimine, a relatively young cohort, and a readily accessible community-based clinic permitting earlier diagnosis and prompt treatment.

Use of clofazimine in dermatology

Clofazimine is the riminophenazine dye that, due to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, has been used for several diseases. This article reviews all major characteristics and uses relating to clofazimine, from its pharmacology to its indications in several skin diseases, over and above its classical and well established use in the treatment of leprosy. Due to its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, clofazimine has a wide spectrum for application in dermatology. The indications include neutrophilic, granulomatous and infectious diseases. Although it is not the first-choice medication in most of the cases, clofazimine should always be considered among the therapeutic options in refractory cases.

[Persistent type 2 lepra reaction (erythema nodosum) and clofazimine-induced lethal enteropathy]

INTRODUCTION

Clofazimine enterophathy is a serious complication of clofazimine when used at high doses for treatment of type 2 lepra or or erythema nodosum leprosum. Objective. A woman is presented who had a delayed diagnosis of leprosy, persistent type 2 lepra reaction and lethal clofazimine enteropathy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A 31-year-old woman presented leprosy symptoms over a 16-year period without medical diagnosis of her disease. During this period, type 2 lepra episodes occurred, but were not accurately diagnosed. These episodes became more severe during her second pregnancy. The patient and her family were interviewed, and her clinical history reviewed.

RESULTS

After twelve years of medical consults, lepromatous leprosy was diagnosed, based on perforation of her nasal septum, with a bacterial index of 5. Her husband and a 12-year-old daughter have leprosy symptoms. During multidrug therapy, she presented with repeated type 2 lepra reaction episodes for which she received daily clofazimine 400 mg doses. Two months after this treatment, severe and frequent episodes of intense abdominal pain began to occur. These persisted for more than a year and were managed with in-hospital administration of several classes of painkillers and antispasmodic medication, including morphine. She also presented with sporadic diarrhea, constipation, nausea, weight loss and mesenteric adenopathies. She died finally due to this intestinal condition. No autopsy was performed.

CONCLUSIONS

The patient's clinical presentation suggested a clofazimine-induced lethal enteropathy, a complication not previously seen in Colombia. This connection was not recognized by the medical officers that treated the patient.

A retrospective study of the effect of modified multi-drug therapy in Nepali leprosy patients following the development of adverse effects due to dapsone

INTRODUCTION

Dapsone Hypersensitivity Syndrome (DHS) occurs in approximately 2% of leprosy patients in Nepal. DHS and other adverse effects of dapsone lead to withdrawal of the drug.

METHODS

We reviewed the notes of patients who had dapsone withdrawn from their multi-drug therapy (MDT) following an adverse reaction to the drug between 1990 and 2007.

RESULTS

105 patients were identified from the database and 67 had a documented completion of a modified course of MDT. The majority were treated with rifampicin and clofazimine. All 36 individuals who were slit-skin smear positive had a satisfactory fall in their mean bacterial index. There were no cases of relapse.

CONCLUSIONS

Rifampicin and clofazimine appear to be satisfactory treatment for both paucibacillary and multibacillary patients who have to have dapsone stopped because of severe adverse effects.

Photosensitisation induced by clofazimine in a cat

A pale ginger cat was treated with clofazimine for feline leprosy. During the course of treatment, photosensitisation by clofazimine led to a dermatological disease resembling actinic dermatitis. The mycobacterial disease was eventually cured with clofazimine and the photosensitisation was managed by regulating sunlight exposure. Upon review of the literature, this appears to be the first documented case of drug-induced photosensitisation in the cat.

Adverse effects from multi-drug therapy in leprosy: a Brazilian study

INTRODUCTION

The WHO MDT for leprosy treatment was officially introduced in Brazil in 1991 and comprises three drugs: dapsone, rifampicin and clofazimine. There are few good studies on the frequency of side-effects attributable to MDT in Brazil.

METHODS

A retrospective and descriptive study carried out in a LCP in Vitória, State of Espirito Santo, Brazil. A specific and detailed protocol about side-effects was prepared and filled in from the patient records.

RESULTS

One hundred ninety four patients' records were analysed looking for side-effects attributable to MDT. Side-effects were attributed to at least one MDT component in 88 (45%) patients and 85 had side-effects due to dapsone, 24 due to rifampicin and 18 due to clofazimine. 185 episodes were identified. The suspected drug was stopped in 47 out of 88 episodes (24% patients); 46 had dapsone stopped, 5 had rifampicin stopped and no-one had clofazimine stopped.

CONCLUSION

Side-effects attributed to MDT is more frequent than previously described, resulting in interruption of treatment in many patients.

Two-year combination antibiotic therapy with clarithromycin, rifabutin, and clofazimine for Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis has been proposed as a cause of Crohn's disease. We report a prospective, parallel, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial of 2 years of clarithromycin, rifabutin, and clofazimine in active Crohn's disease, with a further year of follow-up.

METHODS

Two hundred thirteen patients were randomized to clarithromycin 750 mg/day, rifabutin 450 mg/day, clofazimine 50 mg/day or placebo, in addition to a 16-week tapering course of prednisolone. Those in remission (Crohn's Disease Activity Index <or=150) at week 16 continued their study medications in the maintenance phase of the trial. Primary end points were the proportion of patients experiencing at least 1 relapse at 12, 24, and 36 months.

RESULTS

At week 16, there were significantly more subjects in remission in the antibiotic arm (66%) than the placebo arm (50%; P=.02). Of 122 subjects entering the maintenance phase, 39% taking antibiotics experienced at least 1 relapse between weeks 16 and 52, compared with 56% taking placebo (P=.054). At week 104, the figures were 26% and 43%, respectively (P=.14). During the following year, 59% of the antibiotic group and 50% of the placebo group relapsed (P=.54).

CONCLUSIONS

Using combination antibiotic therapy with clarithromycin, rifabutin, and clofazimine for up to 2 years, we did not find evidence of a sustained benefit. This finding does not support a significant role for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease in the majority of patients. Short-term improvement was seen when this combination was added to corticosteroids, most likely because of nonspecific antibacterial effects.

Atypische Mykobakteriose der Haut durch Mycobacterium abscessus bei einer immunkompetenten Frau

Mycobacterium abscessus is the most pathogenic of the fast-growing mycobacteria, and it is resistant to most of the antimicrobial and tuberculostatic drugs available. This non-tuberculous mycobacterium is significant in medicine because it can contaminate post-traumatic wounds and be a causative agent in chronic skin and soft tissue infection after surgical procedures.A 60-year-old immunocompetent woman was suffering from chronic ulcers and abscesses on the heels and malleoli of both feet. Histological examination revealed a granulomatous inflammation with detection of acid-fast rods, albeit without fibrinoid necrosis. The repeated detection of atypical mycobacteria, which were ultimately identified as Mycobacterium abscessus, allowed the diagnosis of an atypical mycobacteriosis of the skin. This was successfully treated first with clarithromycin and rifabutin and later with a combination of ethambutol, minocycline, clofazimine and azithromycin.

Clofazimine induced enteropathy--a case highlighting the importance of drug induced disease in differential diagnosis

A patient on treatment for multibacillary leprosy for the past three years, presented with episodes of abdominal pain. Since the patient improved with conservative management, clofazimine induced enteropathy was considered as a remote possibility. A review of the mucosal biopsies showed macrophages with crystal-storing spaces consistent with clofazimine deposition in the duodenum. This case highlights the need to consider and investigate drug-induced disease as part of the differential diagnosis.

Double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial of clofazimine compared with chloroquine in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of clofazimine (CFZ) compared with chloroquine diphosphate (CDP) for the treatment of cutaneous involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

METHODS

A prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial was carried out in SLE patients with active cutaneous lesions, of whom 16 were randomized to receive CFZ at 100 mg/day and 17 received CDP at 250 mg/day for 6 months. All drugs had a similar appearance to avoid identification. Both groups received broad-spectrum sunscreens twice a day and the prednisone dose was kept stable during the study. Cutaneous lesions were evaluated by 2 blinded observers at baseline and at months 1, 2, 4, and 6.

RESULTS

Thirty-three patients were randomized to a treatment group, of whom 27 completed 6 months of treatment. The groups were homogeneous and comparable in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics. Five CFZ-treated patients and 1 CDP-treated patient (P = 0.15) dropped out due to development of severe lupus flare. At the end of the study, 12 CFZ-treated patients (75%) and 14 CDP-treated patients (82.4%) had complete or near-complete remission of skin lesions; intention-to-treat analysis showed no significant difference in the response rates between groups. Side effects, mainly skin and gastrointestinal events, were frequent in both groups, but no patients had to discontinue their treatment.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that CFZ is equally as effective as CDP in controlling cutaneous lesions in SLE patients. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that the CFZ itself could be the cause of systemic lupus flare.

Chemotherapy of leprosy

The WHO MDT regimens have proved highly successful in preventing relapse of leprosy cases. It has indirectly lad to marked reduction in prevalence of disabilities. For PB leprosy, rifampicin 600 mg monthly and 100 mg dapsone daily for a total of 6 months therapy is required. For MB leprosy clofazimine 300 mg once monthly, supervised and 50 mg daily self administered is added. For single skin lesion the current WHO recommendation is 600 mg rifampicin + 400 mg ofloxacin + 100 mg minocycline given as a single dose for adults. Dose adjustment for children and clinical information have been discussed in a nutshell. A number of trials are going on, some are yet to be completed which do offer the prospect of perhaps simplifying therapy and improving with shorter duration.

Reactions and their management

The uneventful response to chemotherapy in leprosy is marked by clinically disturbing episodes encountered in 20-30% of patients and these phenomena are called "reactions". Generally they are classified as reversal reaction (type-1) and erythema nodosum leprosum (type-2). The cutaneous menifestations are: (1) Type-2 reactions in LL, BL types constituting erythema nodosum leprosum, erythema multiforme, erythema necroticans, subcutaneous nodules, lepromatous exacerbation. (2) Type-1 reactions in borderline and tuberculoid leprosy. The other manifestations include: Acute neuritis, lymphadenitis, arthritis, oedema of the hands and feet, ocular lesions, etc. Sequelae of reactions are: Paralytic deformities, non-paralytic deformities, extensive scarring and renal damage. A simple guideline to identify the risk-prone cases has been narrated. Prednisolone in standard dosage schedule as recommended by WHO is now being widely used in control programmes.

Intra-abdominal, crystal-storing histiocytosis due to clofazimine in a patient with lepromatous leprosy and concurrent carcinoma of the colon

We report a case with abdominal complications of clofazimine treatment which included blackish discolouration of the lymph nodes, omentum and peritoneum. A 44-year-old female with lepromatous leprosy and a history of adverse reaction to clofazimine 2 years previously, presented with rectosigmoid junction adenocarcinoma. Laparotomy revealed an inoperable tumour with pigmentation of the bowel, serosa and peritoneum. A second operation had o be performed for transverse loop colostomy and a mesenteric lymph node biopsy sent for frozen section showed typical clofazimine crystals. Despite widespread use for many years in the treatment of leprosy, this drug is not known to be carcinogenic and this case provides no evidence for an association or link between its use and the patient's cancer. Apart from its use in leprosy, clofazimine may be used in the treatment of disseminated Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection, Buruli ulcer due to M. ulcerans and occasionally in other mycobacterial infections. An awareness of the rare side-effect described above may help in the clinical assessment and management of such cases, including the avoidance of unnecessary laparotomy.

[Adverse effects of multidrug therapy in leprosy patients: a five-year survey at a Health Center of the Federal University of Uberlândia]

The introduction of multidrug therapy (WHO/MDT)-composed by the drugs dapsone, clofazimine and rifampicin has enabled the cure of Hansen's disease, however, the adverse effects of these drugs were not given priority by the health team. Aiming to determine MDT's adverse effects' magnitude and relate them to the non-adhesion of patients to the treatment, a study of 187 charts of patients treated with MDT from January of 1995 to May 2000, was carried out at a Health Center of the Federal University of Uberlândia. Side effects were recorded in 71 patients' charts. Among the 113 side effects found, 80 (70.7%) were related to dapsone, 7 (6.2%) were caused by rifampicin and 26 (20.5%) were attributed to clofazimine. These effects induced 28 (14.9%), patients to change the therapeutic scheme, representing 39.4% from the 71 patients with adverse effects. Throughout this study, the importance is discussed of considering MDT's adverse effects when training the health team to heighten the patient's adhesion to the treatment and thereby collaborating to eliminate Hansen's disease as a public health problem.

Biochemical and hematological side effects of clofazimine in leprosy patients

Gastrointestinal toxicity and red skin discoloration were the major side effects observed in leprosy patients undergoing long-term treatment with clofazimine (CFZ). Hematological and biochemical alterations have been cited among other side effects; however, their real magnitude and clinical significance at the doses currently employed in therapy have not been sufficiently documented. We therefore investigated the correlation between CFZ plasma concentration and biochemical (transaminases, bilirubins, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, amylase, urea, creatinine, and potassium plasma levels) as well as hematological changes blood and reticulocyte counts, osmotic fragility, detection of Heinz bodies and methemoglobinemia (MHM), following in two regimes of treatment: CFZ as a single drug and CFZ as part of multidrug (MDT) therapy, in combination with dapsone and rifampicin. MHM and hemolytic anemia were detected in the MDT group only. Eosinophilia was found in patients of either group. Determination of hepatic, pancreatic and renal biochemical parameters showed rare, occasional changes of apparently no clinical significance. We conclude that CFZ is a generally well tolerated and safe drug when given as a daily dose of 50mg, which is currently used in leprosy patients.

Hepatic and haematological adverse reactions associated with the use of multidrug therapy in leprosy--a five year retrospective study

This study analyses retrospectively some of the risks associated with the use of WHO-multidrug therapy (MDT) in Sri Lanka. Case records of 3,333 new cases of leprosy attending the Central Leprosy Clinic in Colombo during 1991-1995, were analysed for adverse drug reactions involving the liver and blood. There were 81 reports of suspected hepatic or haematological adverse reactions associated with the use of MDT, of which 39 were classified as haemolytic anaemia, 25 as toxic hepatitis, 2 as methaemoglobinaemia and 15 as anaemia. Dapsone, was incriminated in the majority of adverse reactions (72%). Adverse drug reactions were more common in female than male subjects (55% vs 45%; P < 0.5), but there was no significant differences between the age groups. Majority of adverse reactions was seen within the first three months of initiation of MDT. This study in no way undermines the benefits of MDT but highlights the risks and suggests measures to minimize these risks.

Clofazimine enteropathy in a pediatric bone marrow transplant recipient

Clofazimine, previously used in the treatment of leprosy, is now used for treatment of Mycobacterium avium complex infection in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome, dermatologic disorders, and graft-versus-host disease. An 11-year-old boy developed a severe enteropathy 2 years after initiation of clofazimine treatment for graft-versus-host disease. Clofazimine enteropathy caused by crystal deposition can be life-threatening.

Clofazimine-induced crystal-storing histiocytosis producing chronic abdominal pain in a leprosy patient

Clofazimine-induced crystal-storing histiocytosis is a rare but well-recognized condition in the literature. Besides the common reddish discoloration of the skin, clofazimine produces gastrointestinal disturbances-sometimes severe abdominal pain, prompting exploratory laparotomy, because pathologic and radiologic findings can produce diagnostic difficulties if the pathologic changes caused by clofazimine are not recognized. The authors report such a case in a leprosy patient to emphasize the importance of history taking, the radiologic abnormalities of the small intestine, and the pathologic findings in small intestine and lymph node biopsies. Clofazimine crystals are red in the frozen section and exhibit bright-red birefringence. However, they are clear in routinely processed histologic sections because they dissolve in alcohol and organic solvents. They also appear as clear crystal spaces during electron microscopic study, but some osmiophilic bodies can be observed. Histiocytosis caused by clofazimine crystals produces infiltrative lesions in radiologic studies mimicking malignant lymphoma or other infiltrative disorders. Associated plasmacytosis in the histologic sections can simulate lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma or multiple myeloma with crystal-storing histiocytosis. With the knowledge of this rare condition caused by clofazimine, appropriate management to avoid an unnecessary laparotomy is possible.

A prospective randomized trial of four three-drug regimens in the treatment of disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex disease in AIDS patients: excess mortality associated with high-dose clarithromycin. Terry Beirn Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS

The optimal regimen for treatment of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease has not been established. Eighty-five AIDS patients with disseminated MAC disease were randomized to receive a three-drug regimen of clarithromycin, rifabutin or clofazimine, and ethambutol. Two dosages of clarithromycin, 500 or 1,000 mg twice daily (b.i.d.), were compared. The Data and Safety Monitoring Board recommended discontinuation of the clarithromycin dosage comparison and continuation of the rifabutin vs. clofazimine comparison. After a mean follow-up of 4.5 months, 10 (22%) of 45 patients receiving clarithromycin at 500 mg b.i.d. had died (70 deaths per 100 person-years) compared with 17 (43%) of 40 patients receiving clarithromycin at 1,000 mg b.i.d. (158 deaths per 100 person-years) (relative risk, 2.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-5.34; P = .02). After 10.4 months, 20 (49%) of 41 patients receiving rifabutin had died (81 deaths per 100 person-years) compared with 23 (52%) of 44 patients receiving clofazimine (94 deaths per 100 person-years) (relative risk, 1.20; 95% confidence interval, 0.65-2.19; P = .56). Bacteriologic outcomes were similar among treatment groups. In treating MAC disease in AIDS patients, the maximum dose of clarithromycin should be 500 mg b.i.d.

Clofazimine: new products. Major antileprous drug

(1) Clinical trials have shown that clofazimine monotherapy is effective. To avoid the emergence of resistance, however, the WHO reference treatment since 1982 has been the rifampicin + dapsone + clofazimine combination. (2) Epidemiological studies show that this polychemotherapy regimen is effective, but we do not yet know if treatment should be continued until skin smears become negative, or whether a 2-year course suffices. (3) Adding clofazimine to the polychemotherapy regimen partly prevents and also lessens the intensity of lepra reactions. However, in the absence of comparative trials, we do not know the part played by clofazimine in the efficacy of the WHO-recommended three-drug regimen. (4) The main adverse effects of clofazimine arise from its accumulation in the skin and eyes, where it frequently causes hyperpigmentation that resolves very slowly on treatment cessation.