Observations on Local Heat Treatment for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Franklin A. Neva National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases and Laboratory of Clinical Investigation

Search for other papers by Franklin A. Neva in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Eskild A. Petersen National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases and Laboratory of Clinical Investigation

Search for other papers by Eskild A. Petersen in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Roland Corsey Biomedical Engineering and Instrumentation Branch, Applied Clinical Engineering Section, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20205

Search for other papers by Roland Corsey in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
D. Huberto Bogaert Instituto Dermatologico, Dominican Republic

Search for other papers by D. Huberto Bogaert in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
Denise Martinez Instituto Dermatologico, Dominican Republic

Search for other papers by Denise Martinez in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Restricted access

Local heat treatment was tested and found effective in three patients with diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis (DCL), a form of disease poorly responsive to the usual chemotherapy. A water bath that circulated water through a pad wrapped around the lesion provided a temperature of 39°C to 41°C for a cumulative time of at least 20 hours, over a period of several days. In the DCL patients beneficial effect of heat treatment was documented by pre- and post-treatment biopsies and cultures. Several other patients with ordinary cutaneous leishmaniasis did not respond to the same form of treatment. It was concluded that different strains and/or species of leishmanial parasites vary in their sensitivity to elevated temperature. While local heat treatment may be curative in certain cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis, such therapy is still experimental and should be monitored by quantitative parasitological studies to document its usefulness.

Author Notes

Past two years Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 2194 1824 442
Full Text Views 11 1 1
PDF Downloads 10 0 0
 

 

 

 
 
Affiliate Membership Banner
 
 
Research for Health Information Banner
 
 
CLOCKSS
 
 
 
Society Publishers Coalition Banner
Save