Lack of Suspicion of Dapsone Hypersensitivity Syndrome in a Leprosy Patient: Case Report with Fatal Outcome.

Background: Dapsone is an antibiotic used in the management of leprosy. Following the worldwide adoption of the dapsone-containing multidrug therapy for treating leprosy, an upsurge in the reported frequency of dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome (DHS) has been observed. DHS is associated with a high fatality rate among patients from low-resourced settings and patients with syndrome-associated hepatitis. Case Presentation: This is a case of a Ghanaian male who, while being treated for leprosy with the multidrug therapy, developed exfoliative dermatitis and signs of liver damage, 6 weeks after treatment initiation. He was managed for dapsone-related exfoliative dermatitis and infectious causes of liver damage were investigated. However, the patient's condition rapidly deteriorated with a fatal outcome despite discontinuation of dapsone. DHS was only considered as a differential diagnosis postmortem. Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of having a high index of suspicion for DHS in all patients on dapsone and the need for a thorough workup for all leprosy patients who present with exfoliative dermatitis and signs of liver involvement within the latency period of the syndrome, especially in low resource settings. Furthermore, it stresses the need for prompt and appropriate treatment as DHS can quickly become fatal in such settings.

Building PRM in sub-Saharan Africa.

It is estimated that about 50% of people in low- and middle- income countries who require rehabilitation do not get it. Multidisciplinary rehabilitation services led by Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) physicians have been shown to improve functioning, independence and the quality of life of persons with reduced functioning or disability. However, there is a dearth of PRM physicians in low to middle income countries (LMICs), particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. One potential solution to this lack of specialists is the establishment of PRM training programs, which are currently lacking. The International Rehabilitation Forum (IRF) developed and implemented a fellowship program to train physicians in rehabilitation medicine and has been successful in Ghana, Ethiopia and Cameroon, all LMICs in sub-Saharan Africa. However, ongoing challenges include inadequate PRM trainers, availability of logistics and services for hands on experience, and funding. The fellowship program has a promising future and an ultimate goal of having locally trained fellows leading the program and expanding it to other LMICs. There has however been no publication of the process followed to achieve this or of a similar process undertaken anywhere in Africa. The process followed in this publication highlights the journey from engaging stakeholders to the admission of new and current fellows in training.