ACTIVE LEPROSY TREATED EFFECTIVELY WITH OFLOXACIN

The patient is a 25-year-old Filipino who showed polymorphous eruption s over the whole body, right ulnar nerve paresis, polyneuropathy and h ypalgesia in the area of eruptions. Because the biopsy specimen showed foam cells, histiocytes, epithelioid cells, many Mycobacterium leprae and no giant cells, the diagnosis of borderline-lepromatous (BL) type was made. The symptoms were improved by the administration of 300 mg/ day ofloxacin. Because the monotherapy using ofloxacin has been report ed to be effective in all 5 previously reported cases of BL type lepro sy, it may be recommended for a larger number of leprosy cases.