Experience with the combination of clofazimine (Lamprene) and long-term steroid therapy in the treatment of leprosy.

A study was undertaken in 14 patients and 20 controls to find out if Lamprene can prevent a flare-up of the infection with Myco. leprae in patients who are on long-term steroid therapy on account of persistent reaction or neuritis. All patients were lepromatus (LL). The average duration of treatment was 21 months for the patients on Lamprene combined with steroids and 22 months for the patients on Lamprene only. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the reduction of either the MI (morphological index) or BI (bacteriological index). It appears that long-term steroids therapy has no adverse effect on the bacteriological decline in lepromatous patients provided that they are treated with Lamprene at the same time.