Evaluation of Thermotherapy for the Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Kabul, Afghanistan: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a common cause of ulcerative lesions and disfiguring scarring among children in Afghanistan. Most lesions occur on the face and are commonly caused by the trypanosome protozoan parasite Leishmania tropica, transmitted by the bite of an infected sandfly (Phlebotomus sergenti). This study compared the effectiveness of a single localized treatment with thermotherapy to 5 days of intralesional administration of Glucantime for the treatment of CL. Three hundred and eighty-two patients with CL were randomly assigned to the two treatment groups and followed for 6 months. The cure rate for the thermotherapy group was 82.5%, compared to 74% in the Glucantime group. The authors concluded that a single localized treatment with thermotherapy was more effective than 5 days of intralesional administration of Glucantime. Additionally, thermotherapy was more cost-effective, with fewer side effects, of shorter duration, and with better patient compliance than intralesional Glucantime.