Categorised Abstracts for the 27th Meeting of the International Scientific Council for Trypanosomiasis Research and Control.

25 patients with late stage T.B. gambiense trypanosomiasis were treated with oral Eflornithine . These patients were divided in two groups A and B . Patients of group A ( n= 12 ) were treated with oral Eflornithine at the dosage of 400 mg/kg/day during 14 days and patients of group B ( n=13 ) received oral Eflornithine at the dosage of 500 mg/kg/day during 14 days . In the two groups of patients the initial cure rate ( disapearance of trypanosomes from bodyfluid 24 hours after the end of treatment ) was 100% . Side effects were marked by digestive and hematologic disturbances and have been all reversible at the end of treatment course . No case of death were registered during treatment . During follow-up one patient died home from pneumonia 4 months after the end of his treatment . Eight cases of relapses ( 32% ) were noted in which 4 were from group A and 4 from group B. Out of the 16 patients who are still in account , there is no new case of relapse but one patient is lost for follow-up . Out of the 15 patients who are under follow_up , one has 6 months of follow-up , 10 have 12 months of follow-up , 3 have 18 months of follow-up and one 23 months of follow-up without relapse. In this study there were no difference in the two dosages of oral Eflornithine in terms of tolerance and efficacy. Search for maximum dosage of oral Eflornithine tolerable and effective in late stage T.b. gambiense trypanosomiasis is necessary for the registration of the oral route of Eflornithine .