Diagnostic challenge

Washington - The standard multi-drug therapy for multi-bacillary leprosy (MDT-MB) recommended by the World Health Organization proved effective in treating patients with Lucio's phenomenon, a rare necrotizing reaction sometimes seen in patients with Lucio's leprosy, according to Luna Azulay-Abulafia, assistant professor of dermatology at the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro and at the Universidade Gama Filho, Brazil. At the February American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting, Dr. Azulay-Abulafia described two cases of Lucio's phenomenon in Brazilian patients with Lucio's leprosy successfully treated with MDT-MB, with no need for systemic therapy with corticosteroids or thalidomide.