A clinico-pathological study of multidrug regimen in paucibacillary leprosy

Preliminary results of a clinical trial in one hundred untreated paucibacillary leprosy cases with multidrug therapy (MDT) as per WHO recommendation are presented. Out of 100 fresh cases studied 18 had indeterminate, 35 tuberculoid and 47 cases had borderline tuberculoid leprosy. All were given MDT consisting of rifampicin 600 mg once a month and dapsone 100 mg daily for six months. At the end of six months all the cases were evaluated clinically and histopathological examination of lesions were studied. The lesions were still active in 35% of patient clinically and 47% histologically. Complete histological resolution have come across only in 4 cases suffering from indeterminate leprosy. Altogether 65% cases receiving MDT have shown marked improvement to total inactivation. Histologically, lymphocytic infiltration still persisted in 90% of slides examined and nerve infiltration were still present in 64% of cases at the end of six months receiving MDT.