Iqbal M Ahmad.
Mild asymptomatic hypocalcemia may be induced during treatment of Hansen`s disease.
J Pak Inst Med Sci Jan ;4(1,2):202-7.

Nowadays the bulk of case load suffering from Hansen`s Disease (H.D.) is of multi-bacillary (M.B.) type in Pakistan. Some of them may present initially with erythema nodosum leprosum (E.N.L.) and a significant number of them develop this complication during treatment. Large doses of clofazimine along with moderate dosese of steroids is the standard treatment for such reactions, continued over a period of months and years. Hypokalaemia is mentioned as one of the adverse effects of clofazimine by the manufacturers and steroids have the potential to do the same. Since both hypokalaemia and hypocalcamia can affect the function of cardiac muscles, it was decided to investigate patients receiving clofazimine up to the limit of tolerance along with steroids by electrocardiographic as well as blood electrolyte monitoring. Serum potassium may be falsely elevated due to haemolysis especially if the laboratory is located far away from the patients. Out of twelve cases studied, 7 (58%) revealed mild asymptomatic hypocalcemia and in two cases spurious hyperkalaemia was encountered.

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