Alternative therapy for pure leishmaniasis

Abstract

Case: The Japanese ointment shiunko was given to 56 patients with clinical findings of cutaneous lesions and parasite evidence of pure cutaneous leishmaniasis (Andean cutaneous leishmaniasis, also known as UTA in Peru), as an alternative therapy because they were unable to be treated with the usual antimonial treatment for various reasons. Outcomes: Fifty-three subjects were followed for 30 days. Fifty had confirmed remission of the lesions together with negative parasitology and healing, and three did not achieve treatment response. Three of the initially enrolled patients withdrew from the study. Conclusion: Shiunko ointment appeared to be effective in the treatment of leishmaniasis, indicating the need for further studies with an increased number of patients in order to obtain statistically significant results.