dapsone
Meaning of dapsone: Dapsone is an antibacterial medication best established for treating leprosy and certain inflammatory skin conditions, also available in topical form for acne.
Definition of dapsone
Dapsone is a sulfone class antibacterial medication with a long established role in treating leprosy, also called Hansen's disease, typically given together with other antileprosy medications. It is also a mainstay treatment for dermatitis herpetiformis, an itchy blistering skin condition linked to gluten sensitivity, where dapsone controls symptoms through its anti-inflammatory effect on the skin rather than through its antibacterial action.
Dapsone is used as well to help prevent Pneumocystis pneumonia, a lung infection that can affect people with a weakened immune system, and it is formulated as a topical gel for treating acne, where it reduces inflammation in the skin.
Because dapsone acts through two somewhat different mechanisms, interfering with bacterial growth and separately reducing certain types of skin inflammation, the reason it is prescribed varies considerably depending on which condition is being treated.
Used in a sentence
Dapsone was prescribed to manage the patient's dermatitis herpetiformis.
Good to know
Dapsone's use in dermatitis herpetiformis and acne relies mainly on its anti-inflammatory effect on skin rather than its antibacterial action, a distinction from its original and continuing role as an antileprosy medication.