A comparison of low and conventional dosages of dapsone in the treatment of lepromatous leprosy.

A therapeutic trial using two dosages of Dapsone with a schedule of administration of the drug once a week was undertaken at the Central Leprosy Teaching and Research Institute, Chingleput. Adult males with active lepromatous leprosy who were either previously untreated, or who had no specific treatment for at least three months immediately prior to their inclusion into this study, were the subjects of this trial. Two dosages, viz., 10 mg. per kg. body weight/week, and 3.3 mg. per kg. body weight/week, were employed in this trial. It was found that Dapsone administered orally as a single dose once a week was therapeutically effective in most of the patients, and improvement, clinical or bacteriological, was directly related to the duration of treatment, irrespective of the dosage of Dapsone. Blood levels of Dapsone in these patients were in general commensurate with the dose of the drug in either group. No adverse effects on any of the visceral functions were encountered during the prolonged use of this schedule of treatment with Dapsone.