Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26474069›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2015

Treatment Outcome of Patients with Buruli Ulcer Disease in Togo.

Marcus Beissner, Nathalie Arens, Franz Wiedemann, Ebekalisaï Piten, Basile Kobara, Malkin Bauer, Karl-Heinz Herbinger, Kossi Badziklou, Abiba Banla Kere, Thomas Löscher and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract readClinical Study
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Drugs for treating Buruli ulcer (Mycobacterium ulcerans disease).The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018
    Pooled it
  2. Buruli ulcer.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2025
    Review
  3. Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Review
  4. Observational
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Marcus BeissnerDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine (DITM), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
Nathalie ArensDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine (DITM), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
Franz WiedemannGerman Leprosy and Tuberculosis Relief Association, Togo Office (DAHW-T), Lomé, Togo.
Ebekalisaï PitenCentre Hospitalier Régional Maritime, Tsévié (CHR-Tsévié), Togo.
Basile KobaraProgramme National de lutte contre l'Ulcère de Buruli, la Lèpre et le Pian (PNLUB-LP), Lomé, Togo.
Malkin BauerDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine (DITM), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
Karl-Heinz HerbingerDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine (DITM), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
Kossi BadziklouInstitut National d'Hygiène (INH), Ministère de la Santé, Lomé, Togo.
Abiba Banla KereInstitut National d'Hygiène (INH), Ministère de la Santé, Lomé, Togo.
Thomas LöscherDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine (DITM), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
Jörg NitschkeGerman Leprosy and Tuberculosis Relief Association, Togo Office (DAHW-T), Lomé, Togo.
Gisela BretzelDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine (DITM), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München · DENetherlands Leprosy Relief · NLTogolese Ministry of Health · TGCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Tokoin · TG

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFollowing introduction of antimycobacterial treatment of Buruli ulcer disease (BUD), several clinical studies evaluated treatment outcomes of BUD patients, in particular healing times, secondary lesions and functional limitations. Whereas recurrences were rarely observed, paradoxical reactions and functional limitations frequently occurred. Although systematic BUD control in Togo was established as early as 2007, treatment outcome has not been reviewed to date. Therefore, a pilot project on post-treatment follow-up of BUD patients in Togo aimed to evaluate treatment outcomes and to provide recommendations for optimization of treatment success. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL

findingsOut of 199 laboratory confirmed BUD patients, 129 could be enrolled in the study. The lesions of 109 patients (84.5%) were completely healed without any complications, 5 patients (3.9%) had secondary lesions and 15 patients (11.6%) had functional limitations. Edema, category III ulcers >15 cm, healing times >180 days and a limitation of movement at time of discharge constituted the main risk factors significantly associated with BUD related functional limitations (P<0.01). Review of all BUD related documentation revealed major shortcomings, in particular concerning medical records on adjuvant surgical and physiotherapeutic treatment. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study presents the first systematic analysis of treatment outcome of BUD patients from Togo. Median times to healing and the absence of recurrences were in line with findings reported by other investigators. The percentage of functional limitations of 11.6% was lower than in other studies, and edema, category III ulcers, healing time >180 days and limitation of movement at discharge constituted the main risk factors for functional limitations in Togolese BUD patients. Standardized treatment plans, patient assessment and follow-up, as well as improved management of medical records are recommended to allow for intensified monitoring of disease progression and healing process, to facilitate implementation of therapeutic measures and to optimize treatment success.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAnti-Bacterial AgentsBuruli UlcerChildChild, PreschoolFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsRecurrenceTogoTreatment OutcomeAnti-Bacterial Agents

Identifiers

PMID26474069
PMCPMC4608783
OpenAlexW1902845956

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.