Clinical, epidemiological and therapeuthic study of 402 patients with American cutaneous leishmaniasis seen at University Hospital of Brasilia, DF, Brazil

FUNDAMENTOS – A leishmaniose tegumentar americana é doença em expansão no Brasil. A região Centro- Oeste é hoje a terceira em incidência e a primeira em crescimento da doença. OBJETIVOS – Avaliar pacientes com leishmaniose tegumentar americana atendidos no Hospital Universitário de Brasília, quanto a aspectos clinicoepidemiológicos e resposta ao tratamento com antimonial pentavalente. MÉTODOS – Estudo do tipo série de casos de 402 pacientes, segundo sexo, idade, ocupação, procedência, formas clínicas, métodos de diagnóstico, tratamento com antimonial pentavalente e efeitos colaterais, no período de 1/1/1994 a 28/2/2003. O acompanhamento foi de um ano pós-tratamento. RESULTADOS – Predomínio de homens, lavradores, de 20 a 39 anos, com a forma cutânea. A eficácia do antimonial foi maior em pacientes com forma cutânea tratados até seis meses depois do início dos sintomas, e em pacientes do sexo feminino (diferenças estatisticamente significativas na análise multivariada). O mesmo ocorreu para pacientes com forma mucocutânea, mas sem diferença estatística significante. Alterações eletrocardiográficas foram mais freqüentes no grupo tratado com 20mg SbV/kg/dia por 30 dias em relação ao tratado por 20 dias. Eosinofilia ocorreu em 17,5% dos casos. CONCLUSÕES – Tratamento precoce, sexo feminino e a forma cutânea apresentaram índices mais elevados de cura. Alterações do eletrocardiograma aumentaram com o tempo de tratamento com antimoniais. A eosinofilia como efeito colateral ao uso do antimonial merece maior investigação. _______________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTBACKGROUND - American cutaneous leishmaniasis is a disease with high prevalence and incidence in Brazil. The Brazilian Central-Western Region currently holds the third largest incidence and the first growth rate of this disease in the country. OBJECTIVES - To evaluate clinical, epidemiological and treatment features of patients with American cutaneous leishmaniasis seen at the University Hospital of Brasília. METHOD - A case series study with 402 patients was carried out, spanning the period between January 1st, 1994 and February 28th, 2003. The following variables were studied: sex, age, occupation, state of origin, clinical features, diagnostic techniques, treatment with pentavalent antimony and side effects. Follow-up was one year after the end of treatment. RESULTS – The predominant group of patients was composed by male rural laborers who presented mainly the cutaneous form of the illness. The greatest efficacy of the antimony was observed in patients presenting the cutaneous form treated up to six months after the onset of symptoms, and in females in general (both differences were statistically significant in multivariate analysis). The early treatment of the mucocutaneous form also presented better results, although not statistically significant. Electrocardiographical alterations were more frequent in the group of patients receiving a 20mg SbV/Kg/day for a 30-day schedule than those with the same dosage for 20 days. Eosinophilia was found in 17.5%. CONCLUSIONS – Early treatment, female gender and cutaneous form presented higher levels of cure. Electrocardiographic changes rose as time of treatment was increased. The remarkable report of eosinophilia as a side effect of meglumine antimoniate deserves further investigation