The proportion of relapses among all patients detected each year increased steadily since the initiation of the national leprosy control program in China with dapsone monotherapy in 1955, reaching 18%-24% in the more leprosy-endemic provinces along the coast. Relapses were also reported in the formerly rifampin-plus-dapsone-treated patients. So far, only three paucibacillary relapses after 6 months of multidrug therapy (MDT) have been reported, and these were due to misclassification at the time of diagnosis. A short course of MDT should be given to all formerly dapsone- and/or rifampin-plus-dapsone-cured patients for the prevention of relapse. If not, they should be screened every 1 to 2 years for any possible signs of relapse, and MDT given when needed.
BT - International journal of leprosy and other mycobacterial diseases : official organ of the International Leprosy Association C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8326169?dopt=Abstract DA - 1993 Mar IS - 1 J2 - Int. J. Lepr. Other Mycobact. Dis. LA - eng N2 -The proportion of relapses among all patients detected each year increased steadily since the initiation of the national leprosy control program in China with dapsone monotherapy in 1955, reaching 18%-24% in the more leprosy-endemic provinces along the coast. Relapses were also reported in the formerly rifampin-plus-dapsone-treated patients. So far, only three paucibacillary relapses after 6 months of multidrug therapy (MDT) have been reported, and these were due to misclassification at the time of diagnosis. A short course of MDT should be given to all formerly dapsone- and/or rifampin-plus-dapsone-cured patients for the prevention of relapse. If not, they should be screened every 1 to 2 years for any possible signs of relapse, and MDT given when needed.
PY - 1993 SP - 1 EP - 7 T2 - International journal of leprosy and other mycobacterial diseases : official organ of the International Leprosy Association TI - Problems of leprosy relapse in China. UR - http://ila.ilsl.br/pdfs/v61n1a01.pdf VL - 61 SN - 0148-916X ER -