Cutaneous leishmaniasis in India. Clinical experience with itraconazole (R51 211 Janssen).

Fifteen patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis were randomly selected for clinical trials with itraconazole. A single daily itraconazole dose of approximately 4 mg per 1 kg of body weight was administered to each patient with breakfast for 6 weeks. Five patients served as controls. On completion of therapy, ten cases in the study group (66.6%) were considered to be cured. No major adverse effects were reported. No significant changes were seen in the controls at the end of the study. The possibility of spontaneous recovery will be discussed in this report even though it is considered to be unlikely. Itraconazole has promising potential in cutaneous leishmaniasis therapy.