Leprosy in Females: A Retrospective Study in the Urban Leprosy Center of a Tertiary Care Center from Kerala, South India

Leprosy in females has got special epidemiological significance as they are more likely to transmit the infection to their children with whom they are often in close contact. The primary aim of the present study was to determine the proportion of leprosy in females and the secondary aim was to study the clinical profile of these cases. This is a 19 year (1997-2015) retrospective descriptive study done in a Tertiary Care Centre at Thiruvanthapuram, Kerala. Females constituted 258 new leprosy cases (n=258) in this study, thus accounting for a proportion of 27.83%. The female/male ratio was 1: 3.59. The age group 41-50 constituted the maximum number of cases, 50 (19.38%). The mean age was 37.60 years. Indeterminate leprosy (I) was the commonest type of leprosy seen in this study accounting for 47 cases (18.22%) followed by patients in borderline spectrum (BT followed by BB and BL), then Lepromatous (LL). Smear positive cases accounted for 38 cases (14.73%). There were 19 cases of leprosy (7.36%) in the childhood age (1-12 years), with BT being the commonest type, 8/15 (53.33%) followed by Indeterminate (I) and TT. Lepra reactions were present in 45 cases (17.44%). Grade 2 disability was present in 33 cases (12.79%). Patients who were defaulters and on irregular treatment accounted for 2 cases (0.78%). The proportion of leprosy in females in this study was similar to other studies. Indeterminate leprosy was the commonest type, not seen in other studies. The proportion of irregular treatment/defaulters was very low and there were no serious adverse drug reactions to anti-Hansen therapy in this study. As this study was done in a Tertiary Care Centre over a long period of two decades, the figures may not be a true indicater of today's status and general trend in the community which should be analysed by well designed population based epidemiological studies. Data from this study will be useful in planning such studies and necessary interventions.