COSTUDIES ON THE TREATMENT OF LEPROSY WITH PROMIN AND OTHER SULFONES

PART (b).THE HIST-PATHOLOGICAL STUDIES

Abstract

The following results were obtained in the treatment of leprosy, including 54 1.lepromatous patients, 3 1.maculosa and 1 1.nervosa, with promin and other sulfone drugs since 1947 over the period of four years, investigating the histopathological tissues of skin.
1) Promin, promisol and diason prevented the bacilli from multiplicating, degenerating and reducing them with vital force.
2) Simultaneously with the provention of bacilli multiplication, proliferation of the connective tissure and cicatrization of the lesions were observed.
3) Leprous cells, which had been observed, before the treatment, round, oval and polymorphous with projections, got flatter and spindle-formed and were reduced in number. Thier position against the epidermis changed from perpendicular to parallel in accordance with lesion absorption. And in these cases lipoid corpuscles and vacuole degeneration were seen.
4) The leprous infiltration extended in the cutis before the treatment were observed atrophic, separated from each other, arround vessels, sweat glands and nerves. But the bacilli were lurking in nerves for a long while.
5) These processes were not specific only with the treatment of sulfones, but were seen with natural heeling or Chaulmoogra oil treatment, and there may be no essential difference between them.
6) There are possibility of relaps in future, so further observations, at least 10 years, are necessaly.