Observation of antileprotic drug resistance

Abstract

Five patients with lepromatous leprosy who have been admitted to Suruga Leprosarium and treated for more than thirty years were clinically suspected as drug resistant. They have been treated with promin, followed by dapsone for a long term. Rifampicin (RFP) was used for three patients after they were clinically suspected of dapsone resistance. Bacillary specimens obtained from these patients were examined at the Institute for Microbial Disease, Osaka University and the Department of Bacteriology, School of Medicine, Hiroshima University. The experimental results have shown that four cases out of five were strong degree dapsone resistant and one case was moderate degree resistant. Furthermore two of three cases who were treated with RFP have been confirmed to be both dapsone and RFP resistant.