Abstract

PAULA, Carmen Déa Ribeiro de; SAMPAIO, João Herman Duarte; CARDOSO, Danielle Rizzo  and  SAMPAIO, Raimunda Nonata Ribeiro. A comparative study between the efficacy of pentamidine isothionate given in three doses for one week and N-methil-glucamine in a dose of 20mgSbV/day for 20 days to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis. Rev. Soc. Bras. Med. Trop. [online]. 2003, vol.36, n.3, pp. 365-371. ISSN 0037-8682.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0037-86822003000300009.

Seventy-nine patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis were included in this study. The experimental group (n = 38) was treated with pentamidine isothionate in a dose of 4mg/kg/day on alternate days, for one week. The control group (n = 41) was treated with N-methylglucamine in a dose of 20mgSbV/kg/day for 20 days. Twenty-one isolates were identified using monoclonal antibody technique. We characterized Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis, most frequently. There was a cure rate of 71.05% of the patients in the experimental group and 73.17% in the control group (p = 0.47).We found a statistical significance regarding frequency of ECG alterations between the experimental and control group (p<0.05). In our study pentamidine was as effective as antimonial for the treatment of american cutaneous leishmaniasis. It proved to be a safer drug considering heart toxicity. Moreover, it requires less time to complete the treatment.

Keywords : Leishmaniasis; Pentamidine; N-methylglucamine; Treatment.