Objective:

To compare the efficacy of thermotherapy for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis with intralesional treatment.

Materials and methods:

We conducted a meta-analysis of clinical trials, evaluating the two treatments for cutaneous leishmaniasis. We performed structured searches across PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and LILACS databases. No limitations were imposed based on ethnicity, country, gender, or publication year. Languages were restricted to English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Two reviewers conducted article examination, data extraction, while two others evaluated the risk of bias. A qualitative summary of the included studies was then conducted.

Results:

Five studies involving 958 patients were included. The clinical cure rate of thermotherapy was 77,7% compared to 71,1% for intralesional treatment, with a significant difference observed between the two groups (odds ratio of 1,42, with a 95% confidence interval between 1,05 to 1,90).

Conclusion:

Thermotherapy showed greater efficacy compared to intralesional treatment in the management of cutaneous leishmaniasis concerning clinical cure in studies conducted in the Old World.

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