01897nas a2200301   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001200055653001100067653001200078653002500090653001400115653001600129653001500145653000900160100001500169700001500184700001400199700001500213700001300228245013000241856005900371300001100430490000700441050003200448520110100480022001401581       1991                            d  c1991 Jun10aDapsone10aHumans10aleprosy10aLongitudinal studies10aPolynesia10aProbability10aRecurrence10aRisk1 aCartel J L1 aBoutin J P1 aSpiegel A1 aPlichart R1 aRoux J F00aLongitudinal study on relapses of leprosy in Polynesian multibacillary patients on dapsone monotherapy between 1946 and 1970.  uhttp://leprev.ilsl.br/pdfs/1991/v62n2/pdf/v62n2a10.pdf  a186-920 v62  aInfolep Library - available3 a<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>  a0305-7518