TY - JOUR KW - Drug Therapy, Combination KW - Follow-Up Studies KW - Humans KW - leprosy KW - Recurrence KW - Rifampin AU - Pattyn S R AU - Groenen G AU - Bourland J AU - De Muynck A AU - Grillone S AU - Grossetete G AU - Husser J A AU - Janssens L AB -

In order to determine the duration of follow-up needed to evaluate the efficacy of short-course bactericidal regimens for multibacillary leprosy, information is needed on the incubation time of relapses after stopping treatment. Several groups of patients, who had been on rifampicin-containing regimens, were followed up for periods ranging from 4 to 10 years. Two groups of relapses were observed: early relapses occurring within 3.5 years after stopping treatment, with a median incubation time of 1 year and 10 months (upper limit of 95% confidence interval: 2 years); and late relapses occurring more than 3.5 years after stopping treatment, with a median incubation of 5 years. Early relapses are probably due to insufficient treatment, and late relapses to persisting bacilli or to reinfection. It is concluded that the efficacy of short-course RMP-containing therapeutic regimens can be evaluated by observing the occurrence of early relapses, 50% of which occur before 2 years after the end of therapy.

BT - European journal of epidemiology C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3402581?dopt=Abstract DA - 1988 Jun DO - 10.1007/bf00144758 IS - 2 J2 - Eur. J. Epidemiol. LA - eng N2 -

In order to determine the duration of follow-up needed to evaluate the efficacy of short-course bactericidal regimens for multibacillary leprosy, information is needed on the incubation time of relapses after stopping treatment. Several groups of patients, who had been on rifampicin-containing regimens, were followed up for periods ranging from 4 to 10 years. Two groups of relapses were observed: early relapses occurring within 3.5 years after stopping treatment, with a median incubation time of 1 year and 10 months (upper limit of 95% confidence interval: 2 years); and late relapses occurring more than 3.5 years after stopping treatment, with a median incubation of 5 years. Early relapses are probably due to insufficient treatment, and late relapses to persisting bacilli or to reinfection. It is concluded that the efficacy of short-course RMP-containing therapeutic regimens can be evaluated by observing the occurrence of early relapses, 50% of which occur before 2 years after the end of therapy.

PY - 1988 SP - 231 EP - 4 T2 - European journal of epidemiology TI - The incubation time of relapses after treatment of multibacillary leprosy with rifampicin containing regimens. VL - 4 SN - 0393-2990 ER -