Effect of dapsone in eliminating M. leprae from the skin of lepromatous patients, a study of 609 cases.

The study was based on 609 lepromatous patients registered at the Out-Patient Clinic of the Acworth Leprosy Hospital during the period, January, 1952 to December, 1962. The treatment period ranged from six months to eight years. The dapsone dosage for adults was 600 mg per week, and for children, below three years, between 4 and 10 years and between 11 and 15 years, the weckly doses respectively were 75 mg, 150 mg and 300 mg. In these cases, the only sulphone used va<; dapsone in tablet form . During theraP~" if reactions occurred, dapsone was withheld or its dose reduced and anti-reaction · reatment, as described by Koticha (5), instituted. Subsequent induction of dapsone was much slower. In none of the cases were corticosteroids given. Antianemic or other appropriate treatment was given when indicated. For bacteriology, the "snip or section mcthod I" (3) was employed in preference to "slit and scrape method" (9), since the cascs negative for bacilli by the later method wcre found to be positive by the former mcthod. The snip or wedge-shaped sections of skin were taken from two sites, one of which was the lobule of the ear. These