Severe adverse reactions to multidrug therapy for leprosy, registered in tertiary services between 2012 and 2017 in Brazil

Objectives: This work aims to determinate the main severe adverse reactions to multidrug therapy (MDT), as well as the characteristics of the patients who had them and the period when they were more prevalent.
Results: Of the 158 patients undergoing treatment for leprosy in the period 2012–2017, 22 (13·9%) were using substitutive treatment for leprosy and presented criteria to enter this study. Adverse reactions were more frequent in women (59·1%), above 45 years age and during second month of treatment. Dapsone was the most frequently implied drug (86·4%), and hemolytic anemia was the main reaction (72·7%).
Conclusion: Severe adverse reaction to dapsone is common in MDT, mainly due to hemolytic anemia.