An adult with borderline tuberculoid leprosy has three hypopigmented anaesthetic patches on the trunk. Per WHO multidrug therapy, the correct adult paucibacillary regimen is:

• A Monthly supervised rifampicin plus daily dapsone and clofazimine for 12 months
• B Monthly supervised rifampicin plus daily dapsone for 6 months ✓
• C Daily dapsone monotherapy for 5 years
• D Monthly supervised rifampicin plus daily dapsone for 24 months

Explanation

Paucibacillary leprosy (1 to 5 skin lesions, no bacilli on slit-skin smear) is treated with six monthly supervised doses of rifampicin 600 mg plus daily self-administered dapsone 100 mg for 6 months. Clofazimine is added only in the multibacillary regimen, which runs 12 months. Dapsone monotherapy is obsolete because it rapidly selects resistant mutants of M. leprae.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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