Heat Therapy Using New Device Shown Effective in Treating Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, Uniformed Services University Study

Newswise — A single session of heat therapy using the Thermomed™ device appears to be as effective as a 10-day intravenous course of sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam) for the treatment of Leishmania major skin lesions, according to a new study by Naomi Aronson and her colleagues at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) and Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC). Results from the randomized treatment trial, which involved 56 military personnel who contracted L. major while serving in Iraq, are reported March 5 in the open-access journal PLoS Tropical Neglected Diseases.