Comparison between intralesional Glucantime plus steroid and Glucantime in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis

Introduction: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by various Leishmaniasis species and can result in a disfiguring scar. Hence, effective treatment is mandatory for prevention of the disease sequellae. The goal of this study was assessment and comparison of intralesional Glucantime plus steroid with intralesional Glucantime in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Methods: In this clinical trial study, 62 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis were divided randomly into 2 groups. 32 cases were treated with Glucantime pluse steroid while other 30 received only Glucantime. In Glucantime plus steroid group, 0.5 cc/cm2 Glucantime (48.5 mgr) plus 0.1 cc/cm2 Triamcinolone Acetonide (4 mgr) were injected intradermally, whereas in the other group, Glucantime (48.5 mgr) was injected intradermally. Six courses of injection was applied weekly. After Fulfilling treatment, the lesions were evaluated for size, erythema and induration. Data was analyzed by t-test and differences were considered significant with P<0.05. Results: Clinical improvement mean scores were 5.6 (62%) and 5.2 (57%) after 6 weeks in the Glucantime plus steroid and Glucantime alone groups, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant. More satisfactory results and higher scores were noted in lesions with less than 4 months duration in comparison with lesions of longer than 4 months in Glucantime plus steroid group. Conclusion: Both treatment modalities are not considerably different in total, but in lesions with less than 4 months duration, the difference is noticeable, obvious which might be the consequence of diminished edema, erythema and induration following steroid therapy