Evaluation of drug regimen in lepromatous leprosy--II

A 2 year follow-up study of 4 drug regimen in 45 cases is reported; whereas the combination of Rifampicin and Dapsone had been found to effect clearance of bacteraemia within a week and effect negativity of nasal smears in a shorter period of time, at 2 years the clinical and bacteriological results in the DDS, DDS + Rifampicin, DDS + Thiacetazone + INH, and DDS + Clofazimine regimen were similar. However, on inoculating bacilli obtained from the dartos muscle into the foot-pads of mice, multiplication was found in 1 out of 11 cases on Rifampicin and DDS, whereas 2 out of 9 cases on DDS + Thiacetazone + INH; 2 out of 10 cases on DDS + Clofazimine and 4 out of 8 cases on DDS alone showed multiplication. Therefore at the end of 2 years there was no significant difference in the results of treatment with any of the drug combinations used in the trial. However, the drug combinations have been found to be better than monotherapy with dapsone alone.