• Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by an acid fast
bacillus , Mycobacterium leprae.
• This bacillus multiplies very slowly in the body and not at all in culture media.
• It is essentially disease of peripheral nerves but it also affects
the skin, and sometimes the eye, mucosa of upper respiratory tract, bone and testes. Classification of leprostatic drugs • The availble drugs may be classed into the sulphones and nonsulphones • Sulphones – Dapsone, sulfoxone sodium • Nonsulphones: 1. Antibiotics – rifampicin 2.Phenazine dye: Clofazimine 3.Thioureas: Thiacetazone 4. Sulphonamides: Sulfadoxines 5. Anti inflammatory drugs: Aspirin, Chloroquine, Antimonials, Corticosteroids Forms of Leprosy • Indeterminate • Tuberculoid • Lepromatous • Dimorphous WHO Regimens
• For treatment purposes leprosy patients are divided into:
• i) those suffering from multibacillary leprosy ( Lepromatous,
borderline lepromatous )
• ii) those suffering from paucibacillary leprosy ( tuberculoid,
borderline – tuberculoid and indeterminate) WHO Regimens • Multibacillary leprosy ( 3 drug regimen) • Rifampicin : 600 mg once – monthly, supervised • Dapsone: 100 mg daily, self administered • Clofazimine: 300 mg once monthly, supervised
• Treatment should be given for at least 2 yrs .
• Paucibacillary leprosy ( 2 drug regimen)
• Rifampicin: 600 mg once – monthly, supervised • Dapsone: 100 mg daily , self – administered. • • Treatment should be given for 6 months