{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,11]],"date-time":"2026-10-11T02:07:04Z","timestamp":1791684424642,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title><jats:p>Treatment failure to intralesional sodium stibogluconate (IL-SSG) is a health challenge for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Sri Lanka. A randomized controlled proof of principle clinical trial, with two arms (viz., radio frequency\u2013induced heat therapy [RFHT] by a ThermoMed\u2122 device (Model 1.8, Thermosurgery Technologies, Inc., Phoenix, AZ) and thermotherapy by a handheld exothermic crystallization thermotherapy for CL [HECT-CL] device) was conducted on 40 CL treatment failures to IL-SSG, from three hospitals in Tangalle, Hambantota, and Anuradhapura, from January 2017 to January 2018, followed up for 180 days post-thermotherapy with a final follow-up in February 2020. Intention-to-treat cure rates were calculated at day 90 (initial cure rate) and at day 180 (final cure rate) posttreatment. Radio frequency\u2013induced heat therapy group: the initial cure rate was 100% (20\/20) and the final cure rate was 95% (19\/20), with one patient relapsing. The HECT-CL group: both the initial and final cure rates were 80% (16\/20), with no relapses and one excluded from the trial. In February 2020 (1.6\u20133 years posttreatment), 27 traceable patients (RFHT = 16, HECT-CL = 11) remained healed. Second-degree burns were observed with RFHT in 65% (13\/20), with HECT-CL in 15% (3\/20), which completely resolved subsequently. The cure rates between the two treatment groups were comparable (<jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic> = 0.15). Radio frequency\u2013induced heat therapy consumed less time and required only a single hospital visit. Handheld exothermic crystallization thermotherapy for CL is potentially usable at community settings with both being less costly than IL-SSG. This study is the first proof that thermotherapy is an efficacious and safe treatment for CL patients in Sri Lanka, complicated by treatment failure to IL-SSG.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.20-0855","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,26]],"date-time":"2021-01-26T07:01:02Z","timestamp":1611644462000},"page":"945-950","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Therapeutic Response to Thermotherapy in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Treatment Failures for Sodium Stibogluconate: A Randomized Controlled Proof of Principle Clinical Trial"],"prefix":"10.4269","volume":"104","author":[{"given":"Hermali","family":"Silva","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"1Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Achala","family":"Liyanage","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"2Base Hospital, Tangalle, Sri Lanka;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Theja","family":"Deerasinghe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"3District General Hospital Hambantota, Hambantota, Sri Lanka;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Buthsiri","family":"Sumanasena","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"4Teaching Hospital Anuradhapura, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Deepani","family":"Munidasa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"4Teaching Hospital Anuradhapura, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hiromel","family":"de Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"2Base Hospital, Tangalle, Sri Lanka;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sudath","family":"Weerasingha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rohini","family":"Fernandopulle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"5General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nadira","family":"Karunaweera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2795","container-title":["The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajtmh.org\/view\/journals\/tpmd\/104\/3\/article-p945.xml","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajtmh.org\/downloadpdf\/journals\/tpmd\/104\/3\/article-p945.xml","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,3]],"date-time":"2021-03-03T17:29:08Z","timestamp":1614792548000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajtmh.org\/view\/journals\/tpmd\/104\/3\/article-p945.xml"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,3]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3"},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4269\/ajtmh.20-0855","relation":{},"ISSN":["0002-9637","1476-1645"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0002-9637","type":"print"},{"value":"1476-1645","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,3]]}}}