Should antibiotics be given for Buruli ulcer?
PDR Johnson - The Lancet, 2010 - thelancet.com
The Lancet, 2010•thelancet.com
In The Lancet today, Willemien Nienhuis and colleagues1 describe a randomised trial of two
antibiotic com binations for the treatment of Buruli ulcer in Ghana. The main finding, that the
two quite similar regimens are equivalent, might seem unremarkable. However, this is an
important study that will change clinical practice. Buruli ulcer is a slowly progressive but very
des tructive infection of skin and soft tissue that can cause permanent disability. 2, 3 The
causative organism, Mycobacterium ulcerans, is transmitted from an environ mental …
antibiotic com binations for the treatment of Buruli ulcer in Ghana. The main finding, that the
two quite similar regimens are equivalent, might seem unremarkable. However, this is an
important study that will change clinical practice. Buruli ulcer is a slowly progressive but very
des tructive infection of skin and soft tissue that can cause permanent disability. 2, 3 The
causative organism, Mycobacterium ulcerans, is transmitted from an environ mental …
In The Lancet today, Willemien Nienhuis and colleagues1 describe a randomised trial of two antibiotic com binations for the treatment of Buruli ulcer in Ghana. The main finding, that the two quite similar regimens are equivalent, might seem unremarkable. However, this is an important study that will change clinical practice. Buruli ulcer is a slowly progressive but very des tructive infection of skin and soft tissue that can cause permanent disability. 2, 3
The causative organism, Mycobacterium ulcerans, is transmitted from an environ mental reservoir. The one established risk factor for contracting the disease is to live in a Buruli-endemic area. Treatment until recently has been with wide surgical excision of affected skin and surrounding normal tissue; 3 antibiotics have been largely abandoned after inconclusive results from field trials. 4–6 In Australia,
thelancet.com
