Hycanthone in the treatment of Egyptian bilharzial patients.

Hycanthone has a schistosomicidal effect against S. haematobium and S. mansoni present singly or combined in the patient. It is effective in all age groups but better in old and adults than in children and better in females than in males. It gave a cure rate of 60.6% after single intramuscular dose of 3 mg/kg body weight. Second dose after three months gave 94.4% cure rate and a third injection after further two months gave 100% cure rate. So, the drug cannot be used in the treatment of bilharziasis as a single dose course.