Follow-up on short-course 2 months' rifampicin treatment of paucibacillary leprosy

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Abstract
Paucibacillary leprosy patients treated with 8 weekly doses of 900 mg rifampicin were studied. In the pilot trial in Burundi, 8 patients were followed for 3 yr and more; all did well, including 1 patient who developed a reversal reaction. In Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), 3 patients on rifampicin developed neuritis at 9-18 wk after the start of therapy and were excluded from the trial. Three patients treated with rifampicin were followed for 3 yr and 5 for at least 2 yr. All patients healed or considerably improved; there were no relapses and no adverse effects due to the intermittent administration of the drug. Three patients in the dapsone-treated group were followed for 3 yr and 2 for at least 2 yr. In this group 1 patient developed severe neuritis and 2 others, who absconded for about 2 yr, did not improve clinically, or worsened. Compared with standard dapsone therapy, rifampicin treatment did not accelerate healing; neuritis was not more frequent but it occurred much earlier.