2026: Volume 6, Issue 1
Past Issues
PDFEffectiveness of Thermotherapy in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Systematic Review
Nugaduwa Vithanage Nethmi Nisansala Vithanage1, Glenn Dillon Hannibal1*, Polwatta Liyanage Achala Nilani Liyanage1, Polwatta Liyanage Gayani Chandima Liyanage1, Thisuri Kithmini Sinhabahu1
1Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka
*Corresponding author: Glenn Dillon Hannibal, Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka , Phone: 0765498183, E-mail: [email protected]
Received Date: February 19, 2026
Publication Date: March 30, 2026
Citation: Vithanage NVNN, et al. (2026). Effectiveness of Thermotherapy in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Systematic Review. Dermis. 6(1):61.
Copyright: Vithanage NVNN, et al. © (2026).
ABSTRACT
Background: Thermotherapy (TT) is an alternative treatment option for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), which is a neglected skin disease. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of TT in treating CL compared to conventional treatment methods. Methods: This review followed the PRISMA guidelines, analyzing randomized and clinical trials on thermotherapy for CL, sourced from MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library. Excluding reviews and non-journal documents, ten out of 41 studies met the criteria. All selected studies, assessed for quality using the Jadad score, were of high quality. Results: Out of ten studies, radio frequency-induced heat therapy (RFHT) was more effective and cost-efficient than intralesional sodium stibogluconate (IL-SSG) (2 studies) (p<0.05), intramuscular sodium stibogluconate (IM-SSG) (1 study), and intralesional (IL) meglumine antimoniate (1 study). Combining single-session TT with a short course of miltefosine (MLT) led to higher cure rates (80.3%) compared to TT alone (57.8%) (p=0.0055). Regarding the mode of TT, RFHT was more effective than handheld exothermic crystallization thermotherapy (HECT-CL) (p>0.05). One study showed that the efficacy of intramuscular meglumine antimoniate was higher compared to TT, while oral miltefosine and intravenous sodium stibogluconate (IV-SSG) did not show a significant difference in efficacy compared to TT (p<0.05). Conclusion: The analysis indicates that RFHT is a superior, cost-efficient treatment for CL compared to IL-SSG, IM-SSG, and IL-meglumine antimoniate. Combining TT with MLT improves cure rates significantly. Further research is warranted to refine these treatment protocols and confirm their long-term benefits.
Keywords: Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, Thermotherapy, Alternative Treatment Options
