Ne. Aronson et al., Safety and efficacy of intravenous sodium stibogluconate in the treatment of leishmaniasis: Recent US military experience, CLIN INF D, 27(6), 1998, pp. 1457-1464
The efficacy and toxicity of sodium stibogluconate (SSG) at a dosage of 20
mg/(kg.d) for either 20 days (for cutaneous disease) or 28 days (for viscer
al, mucosal, or viscerotropic disease) in the treatment of leishmaniasis is
reported. Ninety-six U.S. Department of Defense health care beneficiaries
with parasitologically confirmed leishmaniasis were prospectively followed
for 1 year. One patient was infected with human immunodeficiency virus; oth
erwise, comorbidity was absent. Clinical cure occurred in 91% of 83 cases o
f cutaneous disease and 93% of 13 cases of visceral/viscerotropic disease.
Adverse effects were common and necessitated interruption of treatment in 2
8% of cases, but they were generally reversible. These included arthralgias
and myalgias (58%), pancreatitis (97%), transaminitis (67%), headache (22%
), hematologic suppression (44%), and rash (9%), No subsequent mucosal leis
hmaniasis was identfied, and there were no deaths attributable to SSG or le
ishmaniasis.