Leprosy

Leprosy remains an important health problem wordlwide. The disease is caused by a chronic granulomatous infection of the skin and peripheral nerves with Mycobacterium leprae. The clinical range from tuberculoid to lepromatous leprosy is a result of variation in the cellular immune response to the mycobacterium. The resulting impaiment of nerve function causes the disabilities associated with leprosy. This review summarises recent advances in understanding of the biology of leprosy, clinical features of the disease, the current diagnostic criteria, and the new approaches to treatment of the infection and the immune-mediated complications. Supervised multi-drug therapy (MDT) for fixed durations is highly effective for all forms of the disease. The widespread implementation of MDT has been associated with a fall in the prevalence of the leprosy but as yet no reduction in the case-detection rate globally. Thus, leprosy control activities must be maintained for decades to interrupt transmission of infection

Estudo da histopatologia e da clínica ocular em hansenianos em hospital de Dermatologia Sanitária / ?

This study is based on the observation of 363 patients bearing different types of hansen's diseases, and it was performed on a small community in the sate of Minas Gerais (municipality of Betim, MG). In examining a patient we had no previous knowledge as to the type of leprosy to expect. Therefore, we were able to study all of our patients free of umbiased ideas and without the danger of being influenced by a prevous diagnosis. The protocol, which was closely followed in every detail, was brokendown as follows: visual acuity, facial muscle functions, eyebrown, eyelashes, lacrimal apparatus, pupil, ocular motility, cornea sensibility, schimer test, a through study of the anterior segment of the eye with a slit-lamp Haag Streit - 900 and photo documentation (Nikon slit-lamp). In addition to theses particularities, several hystopathologic studies were carried out on parts of an enucleated eye