Topical treatment of New and Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis in experimental animals.

The effect of topical treatment with 15% paromomycin sulphate and 12% methylbenzethonium chloride in white soft paraffin on cutaneous leishmaniasis in Balb/c mice was studied. The Saudi Arabian strain of Leishmania major, although being the most virulent to the mice, showed the highest susceptibility to this treatment. After 10 days treatment, parasites were totally eliminated from the treated lesion and healing was complete. 3 American strains were also tested: L. mexicana amazonensis; L. braziliensis panamensis and L. mexicana mexicana. The first was the most virulent and the most resistant to local treatment, L. b. panamensis displayed an intermediate response, and L. m. mexicana was highly susceptible. The disease relapsed in 50% of the infected treated mice within 135 days (L. major), 120 (L. m. mexicana), 25 (L. b. panamensis), and 14 days (L. m. amazonensis) after the end of the treatment.