RESEARCH ARTICLE
Topical 1% Propranolol in Liposomal Gel: A New Adjuvant Tool for Chronic Leprosy Ulcers
Ayman Abdelmaksoud1, Domenico Bonamonte2, Giuseppe Giudice3, Angela Filoni2, Michelangelo Vestita2, 3, *
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2018Volume: 12
First Page: 59
Last Page: 64
Publisher ID: TODJ-12-59
DOI: 10.2174/1874372201812010059
Article History:
Received Date: 24/2/2018Revision Received Date: 3/4/2018
Acceptance Date: 1/5/2018
Electronic publication date: 31/05/2018
Collection year: 2018
open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode). This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Objective:
To evaluate the effects of 1% topical propranolol in liposomal gel in 3 patients with plantar ulcers.
Methods:
We enrolled 3 patients with 3 ulcers who had completed the WHO recommended treatment regimen. The ulcers were cleaned with sterile normal saline, and 1% topical propranolol in liposomal gel was applied 2 times/day for 3 months, or less if complete healing was reached before. Assessment of ulcer re-epithelization was recorded at baseline, 6 weeks, and 3 and 6 months after initiation of treatment.
Results:
Response in the form of granulation tissue formation started by the second week. Substantial reduction in size subsequently continued over the next 3 months. Two of the 3 patients showed complete healing of the ulcers at the 6 months follow up. In the 3rd patient, the ulcer showed only modest signs of healing. Surprisingly, in all patients, the sensory function was restored, particularly in terms of pain. Some motor functional recovery at the ulcer site and surrounding tissue was also documented.
Conclusion:
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first trial of topical propranolol for the treatment of trophic ulcers of leprosy. This may represent a promising adjuvant therapy for leprosy ulcers, including ulcers of older age. Further studies are warranted with a larger number of patients and a longer period of follow up to determine the ideal candidates and to identify clinical factors predictive of response.
