Leprosy
Mailing List – February 7th,
2010
Ref.:
Clofazimine
in the
Philippines
From:
Francesca
Gajete, City of
San jose
del Monte,
Bulacan
,
Philippines
Dear
Dr Noto,
A prominent side effect of clofazimine is reversible coloration of the
skin. It produces an
initial redness of the skin due to an accumulation of the drug.
Later with prolonged treatment a pink to brownish-black colour
develops and this is most noticeable in lesional areas (1, 2).
In
the
Philippines
, health workers take time to explain the discoloration caused by
clofazimine emphasizing that the natural colour will return after
treatment. It may return
after six month to a year, depending upon the degree of skin
infiltration by leprosy (3). It
may also be depending upon how dark was the original skin and
avoidance of exposure to sunlight during treatment (but I have found
no reference for these). As
for the health worker we share that this is a good lead in monitoring
treatment compliance.
Best
regards,
F.
Gajete
Dr Francesca Gajete
National
Manager
National
Leprosy Control Programme
The
Philippines
1.
Rook
… Textbook of dermatology 6th Ed. 1998
2.
Leprosy
for medical practitioners and paramedical workers, S J Yawalkar 2nd
Ed. 2002
3.
Leprosy,
Robert C. Hastings, 1985
