Liposomal Amphotericin in Disseminated Leishmaniasis
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2013-08-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Disseminated leishmaniasis (DL) is an emerging and severe form of leishmaniasis, with
increasing prevalence in Bahia, Brasil. It is characterized by multiple acneiform, papular
and ulcerated lesions localized on the face, chest, abdomen and extremities. The number of
lesions ranges from 10 to hundreds, and mucosal disease has been documented in more than 40%
of the cases.
DL is a hard to cure disease and therapeutic failure with pentavalent antimony has been
documented in up to 70% of the cases caused by L. braziliensis in the endemic area of Corte
de Pedra, Bahia. The majority of DL patients need several courses of antimony or the use of
high dose of Amphotericin B desoxicolate to cure. Therefore DL patients are exposed to
relevant drug toxicity, high morbidity due to a long lasting disease, with an important
socio-economic impact. Our hypothesis is that liposomal Amphotericin B has a higher cure rate
than historic cure rates of pentavalent antimony in the treatment of disseminated
leishmaniasis.