The adequate treatment of the American tegumentary leishmaniasis is crucial since the disease, differently from the caused by the Old World species, is painful and not self-healing and may lead to the disfiguring mucosal involvement. So far, pentavalents antimony compounds have been considered the treatment of choice for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), however, these drugs present high frequency of side effects and important disadvantages as parenteral administration and need for careful renal and cardiac monitoring. Azithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic, non-expensive, largely commercially available that has shown in-vitro and in vivo activity against different species of Leishmania.

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral azithromycin for the treatment of CL. The efficacy of oral treatment of azithromycin 500 mg/day for 20 days is going to be compared with the standard treatment of intramuscular injections of 20 mg/Kg/day of pentavalent antimonials (Glucantime®) for 20 days in patients with CL from two endemic regions of Brazil: the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte in the southeast Brazil and in Corte de Pedras (Bahia), Northeastern Brazil. The patients follow up lasts for 12 months.