The Dapsone Conundrum: Understanding Implications of Adverse Reactions to Dapsone Including Dapsone Hypersensitivity...

The introduction of the World Health Organization's multidrug therapy (WHO-MDT) has significantly advanced leprosy treatment. Although dapsone is a fundamental component of MDT, it presents risks of adverse drug reactions (ADR), including the potentially fatal dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome (DHS).

Consequently, we conducted a retrospective observational study by reviewing the records of patients registered at the leprosy clinic within the department of dermatology at a tertiary care center from 2010 to 2022. We included all patients who experienced ADR due to dapsone that necessitated its discontinuation, with particular emphasis on those who developed DHS.

Among 1598 leprosy patients treated with standard WHO-MDT, 45 patients developed ADR requiring cessation of dapsone (2.82% over 12 years). The most common ADR was abnormal liver function tests in 14 patients (0.87%) and anemia in 13 patients (0.81%), including one case each of hemolytic anemia and methemoglobinemia. Neuropsychiatric adverse effects were observed in five patients (0.31%). The incidence of DHS was 0.75% (12 patients), with maculopapular rash being the most frequent cutaneous manifestation. These patients were subsequently treated with MDT without dapsone, along with standard care for the ADR, resulting in no mortality or serious morbidity.

While dapsone remains a cornerstone in the treatment of leprosy, the potential for clinically significant though infrequent adverse reactions highlights the need for vigilant monitoring and increased awareness among healthcare providers of the diverse manifestations of dapsone-related side effects.