@article{24002,
  keywords = {Treatment, leprosy, Efficacy, 12 months MDT},
  author = {Dogra S and Kumaran M S and Narang T and Radotra B D and Kumar B},
  title = {Clinical characteristics and outcome in multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients treated with 12 months WHO MDT-MBR: a retrospective analysis of 730 patients from a leprosy clinic at a tertiary care hospital of Northern India},
  abstract = {<p>BACKGROUND: Shortened (12 months) multidrug multibacillary regimen (MDT MBR) was implemented in India in 1998, however there is yet a paucity of crucial data on its long-term outcome. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of 12 months MDT MBR in multibacillary (MB) patients at our centre. DESIGN: This was a retrospective study undertaken analysing the clinic records of 1210 patients registered at the leprosy clinic of our institute from 1999 to 2010. RESULTS: 730 MB patients were treated with 12 months MDT MBR over this period. High bacillary index (BI) &gt; or = 3 + was observed in 313 patients at the time of registration. Four hundred and one (54.9%) patients experienced lepra reactions. Recurrent ENL was observed in only 14 patients which manifested even after 5 years of stopping treatment. Clinico-histological correlation was noted in 361 (49.5%) patients. During follow up period ranging from 9 months to 10 years, nearly all patients had clearance of skin lesions including histopathological/bacteriological improvement. Only 13 (1.7%) patients relapsed. CONCLUSIONS: All patients responded well with 12 months MDT MBR without significant side effects. The overall relapse rate was only 1.7%. Thus, the recommendation for 12 months MDT MBR for all MB patients is robust and operationally practical, a decision which seems logical.</p>
},
  year = {2013},
  journal = {Leprosy review},
  volume = {84},
  pages = {65-75},
  url = {https://leprosyreview.org/article/84/1/06-5075},
  language = {eng},
}