Treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis with itraconazole

Abstract

Many treatment modalities are in vogue for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). None is 100% effective. There has not been any Saudi Arabian study using itraconazole for this indication. It was thought worthwhile to report our findings for the treatment of CL with itraconazole from this region. A group of 35 patients with CL were treated with itraconazole for a period of 1 month and were followed for 1 month. Complete healing occurred in 62.9% of the itraconazole group compared with a cure rate of 88.9% in the comparator intralesional Pentostam (sodium stibogluconate) group. The lower response rate with itraconazole makes it an unsuitable treatment for CL in endemic areas.

Key Words:

• Cutaneous leishmaniasis
• Itraconazole