Recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of kala-azar

In India, about 100 000 cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar are estimated to occur annually, 90% of which occur in the state of Bihar. Currently, antibody-based tests such as the rK39-based immunochromatographic strip test and the direct agglutination test (DAT) are widely used for the diagnosis of VL. However, their major drawback is continued positivity both long after cure and in a high proportion of individuals living in endemic areas. Thus, antibody-based tests must always be used in combination with a standardized clinical case definition for VL. There have been many breakthroughs in the past decade in the treatment of kala-azar in India, such as approval of oral miltefosine and paromomycin, single-dose treatment with liposomal amphotericin B and multidrug treatment. Encouraged by these advances, an ambitious VL elimination programme was launched with the aim to eliminate VL as a public health problem in India, Nepal and Bangladesh by 2015. Early diagnosis, complete treatment of cases, integrated vector management, effective disease surveillance, and clinical and operational research should be the five key components of the strategy to achieve this goal.     

Oral medroxyprogesterone in the treatment of postmenopausal symptoms

A double-blind crossover study was designed to compare the effects of placebo and medroxyprogesterone acetate, 20 mg, on vasomotor flushes and blood hormones in 27 postmenopausal women. In women receiving placebo, vasomotor flushes were decreased by 25.9% during the last four weeks of treatment compared with baseline, and a further decrease of 34.5% was achieved by the last four weeks after patients were given medroxyprogesterone. In women who initially took medroxyprogesterone, there a 73.9% decline by the last four weeks in the number of vasomotor flushes. However, when these women were given placebo, an immediate worsening of their symptoms occurred. The drug produced a decline of 27% and 29% in serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, respectively, while the serum prolactin level rose slightly. Thus, medroxyprogesterone can be used to treat the vasomotor flushes of postmenopausal women when estrogen use is undesirable.     

Rationalisation of regimens of treatment of kala-azar with sodium stibogluconate in India: a randomised study

The efficacy and safety of six regimens of treatment for kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis) with sodium stibogluconate were evaluated in a prospective randomised study to ascertain the optimal treatment for Indian patients. Altogether 371 patients with kala-azar were randomised to receive sodium stibogluconate intramuscularly at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight/day for 20 or 40 days (groups A and A1, respectively), 15 mg/kg body weight/day for 20 or 40 days (groups B and B1, respectively), or 20 mg/kg body weight/day for 20 or 40 days (groups C and C1, respectively). Patients were examined blind before and at the end of treatment and every month for six months. The number of patients who were apparently cured--that is, those whose temperature had returned to normal at the end of their regimen of treatment--was 45 (78%) in group A, 53 (87%) in group A1, 50 (81%) in group B, 60 (95%) in group B1, 58 (92%) in group C, and 62 (97%) in group C1. At six months 62 patients (97%) in group C1, 51 (81%) in group C, 54 (86%) in group B1, 42 (68%) in group B, 45 (74%) in group A1, and 33 (57%) in group A had not relapsed and were cured as confirmed by a bone marrow aspirate free of parasites. The differences between groups C1 and C, B1 and B, and A1 and A were significant. Logistic regression of the proportion cured with the dose and length of treatment showed that both factors were significant in improving the rate of cure; the highest dose for the longer time (group C1) had the best rate of cure. One patient in group C1, 12 in group C, nine in group B1, 18 in group B, 15 in group A1, and 23 in group A were cured with extended courses of 20 mg sodium stibogluconate. One patient in each of groups C1, B, A1, and A became unresponsive to antimony and were cured with pentamidine. One patient in each of groups C1, B, and A became unresponsive to both antimony and pentamidine. The patients tolerated the longer duration of treatment safely, and side effects were minor. Sodium stibogluconate should be given intramuscularly in the dosage of 20 mg/kg for at least 40 days, when patients should be assessed for further treatment if necessary. Such a regimen should achieve the highest rate of cure with low toxicity and low rates of relapse and unresponsiveness.     

儿童黑热病26例临床分析

目的分析26例儿童黑热病临床和实验室特点,以提高对儿童黑热病的认识。方法回顾性分析2002年1月—2010年12月新疆医科大学第一附属医院儿科收治的26例儿童黑热病的临床及实验室资料,对其进行总结。结果 (1)26例黑热病患儿早期临床表现多不典型,以发热(100.00%)、乏力(73.07%)、纳差(88.46%)、咳嗽(69.23%)为主要临床表现,查体主要以贫血貌(84.62%)、精神萎靡(84.62%)、淋巴结肿大(80.77%)、脾肿大(73.07%)、肝肿大(73.07%)为主;(2)脾肿大程度与血细胞降低程度呈正相关;(3)20例骨髓涂片检查到利杜体,另6例结合免疫检测提示阳性。结论儿童出现不规则发热、消瘦、进行性脾脏肿大及全血细胞减少时应考虑到黑热病,早期进行骨髓检查结合免疫检测可提高诊断的准确率,减少误诊和漏诊。     

Oral propranolol for the treatment of infantile haemangiomas in Singapore

INTRODUCTIONInfantile haemangiomas (IH) are the most common vascular tumours in childhood. Over the past decade, treatment of IH has been revolutionised by the discovery of the effectiveness of beta-blockers in its treatment. We review our hospital’s experience with oral propranolol in the treatment of IH in an Asian population.METHODSWe performed a retrospective review of the medical records and clinical photos of paediatric patients with IH treated with propranolol in a tertiary paediatric hospital in Singapore from January 2010 to February 2015.RESULTSA total of 88 patients with IH treated with propranolol were identified over a five-year period, with 79 patients included in the final analysis. There was a predominance of female patients (75.9%) and preterm infants (41.8%) in our study population. The head and neck (65.8%), especially the orbital or preorbital region (45.6%), were the most common lesion sites in our cohort of patients. Mean age of onset was 2.3 ± 4.5 weeks of age, and mean age of starting propranolol treatment was 7.7 ± 10.5 weeks of age. 44.3% of patients experienced > 75% improvement, while 29.1% experienced improvement of 50%–75%. Response to treatment was influenced by the age of starting treatment.CONCLUSIONOur study provides further evidence of the efficacy and safety of propranolol in the treatment of IH in an Asian population. Early treatment is recommended for optimal results.     

米替福新对常见皮肤癣菌体外抑菌活性的研究

目的 了解米替福新对常见皮肤癣菌的体外抑菌活性.方法 参照美国临床和实验室标准化研究所(CLSI)制定的M 38-A方案测定77株常见皮肤癣菌(含三属即毛癣菌属、小孢子菌属和表皮癣菌属)的最低抑菌浓度(MIC).结果 米替福新对常见皮肤癣菌均有较好的抑菌作用,MIC90为1.0 μg/ml,MIC几何均数为0.617 μg/ml,MIC范围0.25～2.0 μg/ml.结论 米替福新对常见皮肤癣菌各属均有较好的抑菌作用.