Topical treatment of Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major: a double-blind control study.

BACKGROUND

A controlled study of the efficacy of topical paromomycin sulfate (PR) and methylbenzethonium chloride (MBCl) in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) has not yet been performed.

OBJECTIVE

The therapeutic effect of an ointment containing 15% PR and either 12% or 5% MBCl (15/12 or 15/5 P-ointment) on patients suffering from Old World CL was examined in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study.

METHODS

Thirty-nine patients with Old World CL caused by Leishmania major were treated topically, twice daily, for 10 to 20 days with 15/12 or 15/5 P-ointment and 10 to 20 days with a placebo ointment to achieve a total of 30 days of treatment in all groups.

RESULTS

In the P-ointment-treated groups, 74.2% (29 of 39 patients) of the patients were cured versus 26.6% (4 of 15 patients) in the placebo-treated group. Little difference was found between the 15/12 and 15/5 P-ointment groups.

CONCLUSION

In most of the patients treated with the active ingredients, total elimination of the parasites was achieved within the first 10 days of treatment.