Ciprofloxacin for treatment of malakoplakia

Abstract

The tumour-like lesions of the rare disease malakoplakia, which consist of macrophages containing undigested coliform bacteria, are often misdiagnosed as a carcinoma. Although an infectious aetiology is likely, no antimicrobial therapy has been successful in the long-term. Since ciprofloxacin penetrates well into macrophages, this drug was given to two patients with advanced malakoplakia (500 mg twice daily). After long-term treatment all granulomatous lesions disappeared. Thus, malakoplakia can be cured by antibiotic treatment.