According to the current WHO recommended multidrug therapy regimens, which combination correctly describes the paucibacillary leprosy regimen?

• A Rifampicin 450 mg monthly plus clofazimine 50 mg daily, for 12 months
• B Rifampicin 600 mg monthly supervised plus dapsone 100 mg daily, for a total duration of 6 months ✓
• C Dapsone monotherapy 100 mg daily for 24 months
• D Rifampicin 600 mg daily plus dapsone 100 mg daily plus clofazimine 300 mg monthly, for 6 months

Explanation

The WHO paucibacillary regimen consists of monthly supervised rifampicin 600 mg with daily self-administered dapsone 100 mg for six months. Multibacillary disease adds clofazimine and extends treatment to twelve months. Dapsone monotherapy was abandoned because of resistance emergence and is obsolete. Daily rifampicin and high-dose clofazimine do not feature in standard regimens, and option D describes an incorrect hybrid schedule. Indian national programme practice follows the same WHO schedules.

Reference: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 21st ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.