A Case of Relapsed Leprosy Successfully Treated With Sparfloxacin

The document reports a case of a 29-year-old Japanese-Paraguayan man with relapsed leprosy, who was successfully treated with sparfloxacin. The patient had previously been treated for leprosy 14 years earlier and presented with severe pain, edema in the feet, and erythematous plaques on his trunk. A skin biopsy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed the diagnosis of relapsed borderline leprosy. Treatment with a 100-mg daily dose of sparfloxacin led to the disappearance of skin eruptions within 6 months, although neuralgia and edema of the feet initially worsened, which were then managed with prednisolone. The case highlights the effectiveness of sparfloxacin as an antileprosy drug and the importance of PCR in diagnosing leprosy, especially in paucibacillary patients or those in early stages. The document also emphasizes the need for early detection, improved treatment regimens, and long-term surveillance to eliminate leprosy as a public health problem by the year 2000, as targeted by the World Health Organization.