Intralesional injections of metronidazole versus meglumine antimoniate for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis

Introduction and objective: Oral metronidazole is reported before as effective treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of intralesional metronidazole injection versus intralesional meglumine antimoniate (Glucantim ) in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.Materials and methods: The 36 patients with clinical and parasitologic diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis participated in this study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. Group one, 18 patients were treated with weekly intralesional of Glucantim injections, and group two, 18 patients were treated with weekly intralesional injections of metronidazole. Intralesional injections was administered enough to blanch the lesions surfaces (0.5-2ml for each lesion in both groups). Results: Twenty eight patients completed the study. Sixteen patients in group one and 12 patients in group two. In group one, 13 patients recovered with eight injections (81%). and of group two, only three patients recovered with eight injections (16.6%). The pain of intralesional injections of metronidazole was much more than the Glucantim injections. Conclusions: Intralesional metronidazole injections have little effect for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.