The Therapeutic Effects of Intralesional Injection of Nimodipine on the Treatment of Resistant Cases of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of intralesional injection of nimodipine in treatment of some cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis failed by a course of intralesional meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime).

This semi-experimental clinical trial study was done at the leishmaniasis research center of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, from 2017 to 2018. For the patients whom their treatment had failed after a complete course of intralesional injection of meglumine antimoniate, intralesional injection of nimodipine was administered once a week for 6 weeks.

Ten patients were assessed. The mean size of the lesions were 1.35 cm at the first day of treatment, and became subsequently 1.35, 1.35, 1.33, 1.33, and 1.32 cm at the end of 2nd</sup> to 6th</sup> weeks of the treatment. Moreover, one month after the end of the treatment, the mean size of the lesions was 1.32 cm. The induration change of lesions was less than 25% for eight patients, and 25-50 percent for two other patients, after the fourth week; these changes were not statistically significant.

 There was no significant difference in size and induration of the lesions one month after the treatment with nimodipine compared to the first session of treatment. The concentration of the drug, or the selection of specific patients, may affect the results. This should be considered in the future studies.