The most under-reported items were concealment of allocation , blinding of patients and outcome assessors , intention to treat and validation of outcomes .
BACKGROUND In the process of conducting a systematic review on interventions for skin lesions due to neuritis in leprosy , we assessed several primary papers with respect to the quality of reporting and methods used in the studies .
Awareness of what constitutes weak points in previously conducted studies may be used to improve the planning , conducting and reporting of future clinical trials .
AIMS To assess the quality of reporting and of methodology  in studies of interventions for skin lesions due to neuritis in leprosy .
Comparison of topical phenytoin with normal saline in the treatment of chronic trophic ulcers in leprosy.
BACKGROUND Trophic ulceration , one of the most common complications of leprosy , is disabling , distressing , and demoralizing for the patient . METHODS The wound healing effects of topical phenytoin powder were compared with those of normal saline in a controlled in-patient study of 100 patients with 110 trophic leprosy ulcers of varying chronicity , over a 4-week study period . Fifty patients were assigned to the topical phenytoin group and 50 to saline therapy group . Ten patients had two ulcers each , and , in these cases , one ulcer was treated with phenytoin and the other with saline . RESULTS Over the 4-week treatment period healthy granulation tissue appeared earlier , and mean percentage of ulcer volume reduction was greater , in the phenytoin group ( 72.1 + /- 19.9 % versus 55.5 + /- 21.6 % ) compared with the control group . CONCLUSIONS This difference was statistically significant at the level of P < 0.001 . Phenytoin appears to be a useful agent for the promotion of healing of trophic leprosy ulcers
The most under-reported items were concealment of allocation , blinding of patients and outcome assessors , intention to treat and validation of outcomes .
BACKGROUND In the process of conducting a systematic review on interventions for skin lesions due to neuritis in leprosy , we assessed several primary papers with respect to the quality of reporting and methods used in the studies .
Awareness of what constitutes weak points in previously conducted studies may be used to improve the planning , conducting and reporting of future clinical trials .
AIMS To assess the quality of reporting and of methodology  in studies of interventions for skin lesions due to neuritis in leprosy .