@article{8134,
  keywords = {Dapsone, Humans, leprosy, Longitudinal studies, Polynesia, Probability, Recurrence, Risk},
  author = {Cartel J L and Boutin J P and Spiegel A and Plichart R and Roux J F},
  title = {Longitudinal study on relapses of leprosy in Polynesian multibacillary patients on dapsone monotherapy between 1946 and 1970.},
  abstract = {<p>Between 1946 and 1970, 295 new leprosy patients were detected in French Polynesia, of whom 145 were multibacillary. Of these 145, put on dapsone monotherapy, 131 reached bacteriological negativity in a period of time ranging from 2 to 12 years (average 4.72 years) and were followed-up for a period of time ranging from 19 to 43 years (median follow-up period after bacteriological negativity; 18 years). Among the 131 patients, 36 relapses were detected, the first one 4 years after bacteriological negativity and the last one 26 years after. The crude relapse rate was 27.5%, the risk of relapse was 1.39 per 100 patient years and the cumulative relapse probability, calculated using the lifetable method, reached 0.38 +/- 11 by year 31 of the study. From these findings one may assume that, at least in French Polynesia, one-third to one-half of multibacillary patients put on dapsone monotherapy would relapse if still present 36 years after bacteriological negativity. Such results re-emphasize the need for leprosy patients to be treated with multidrug therapy as recommended by WHO.</p>},
  year = {1991},
  journal = {Leprosy review},
  volume = {62},
  pages = {186-92},
  month = {1991 Jun},
  issn = {0305-7518},
  url = {http://leprev.ilsl.br/pdfs/1991/v62n2/pdf/v62n2a10.pdf},
  doi = {10.5935/0305-7518.19910022},
  language = {eng},
}