[Arsenical resistance and difluoromethylornithine in the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis].

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) in Zaïre is a medical problem of first importance, particularly in endemic areas where sleeping sickness threatens about 10 millions of human beings almost the third of the whole population. Used since about forty years as the main trypanocidal drug, melarsoprol is accompanied with a more and more important rate of failures (10%) during the last ten years. 86 patients from whom 51 were refractory with melarsoprol have been treated with difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) since May 1984. Results which have been obtained seem to be encouraging because desperate cases are considered cured after 2 years of set-back. Side effects (disorders of intestinal function, anaemia, drug administration over a long period of time) may be considered as minor.