In in vitro analyses, extracts from these plants have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties; an ethanol extract from the bark of E. suaveolens has been specifically tested for activity against M. ulcerans 21-25. Since spontaneous healing of BU cases has been reported 26, it is not firmly established that the healing of the lesion of the patient presented here was supported by herbal remedies. Learning Points * The combination of rifampicin with streptomycin or clarithromycin, given for eight weeks, is a well-established first-line therapy for all forms of active M. ulcerans disease. * In African Buruli ulcer endemic areas, herbal remedies nevertheless continue to be applied to lesions of Buruli ulcer patients. * Details of possible anti-mycobacterial activities of herbal remedies--obtained from plants that are repeatedly reported to be applied to Buruli ulcer lesions in several endemic countries in West Africa--may be worth further investigation. * Given the possibility of spontaneous remission, the potential contribution of herbal remedies to the healing of Buruli ulcer lesions remains to be critically assessed.