Electrophysiological Study of Nerves in Type-II Reaction in Leprosy.

BACKGROUND: Leprosy is a chronic granulomatous infection primarily affecting the peripheral nervous system, skin and reticuloendothelial system. Cutaneous nerves are severely affected in lepra reaction and this leads to morbidity. OBJECTIVE: To study electrophysiological pattern of different nerves involved in Type-II reactions in leprosy. METHOD: The present study was undertaken in 21 leprosy patients with Type-II reactions attending in and out-patient department of Dermatology & Venereology, B.R.D. Medical College, Gorakhpur from July 2005 to October 2006. This was a prospective case control study in which 20 healthy, age and sex matched people with no evidence of any disease (particularly nerve involvement) were included. LIMITATION: Lesser number of cases were studied. RESULT: The proximal motor conduction latency was significantly prolonged in both ulnar and common peroneal nerve and proximal motor conduction velocity was also significantly reduced. On examining the values beyond 2S.D. of the control value, distal latency was not affected and only proximal conduction was affected in ulnar nerve. CONCLUSION: In Type II lepra reaction the motor conduction abnormalities are not prominent. Abnormalities are relatively more marked in the proximal segment.

Peripheral nerve abscess in leprosy: report of twenty cases.

During the year 1994-1995, 20 of the 67 leprosy patients attending the dermatology department with any kind of nerve involvement were found to be having nerve abscess. These abscesses occurred in all types of leprosy (except the Indeterminate) and a variety of nerve trunks and cutaneous nerves. In none of the instances the abscess was associated with reaction. All the patients were surgically treated, without any steroid therapy. All cases showed significant improvement whenever there was nerve function deficit. Similarly, pain was relieved in all cases, when it was present.

Late reversal reaction after 10 years of adequately treated leprosy.

Differentiation between a relapse or late reversal reaction following completion of regular drug therapy in patients with leprosy is often difficult, though it has definite therapeutic implications. The present case documents a late reversal reaction occurring an unusually long time after the completion of multi-drug therapy.

Electro-physiological evaluation of nerves during reactions in leprosy.

Forty-two patients with leprosy (7 with tuberculoid type, 30 borderline, 5 lepromatous) were studied electrophysiologically during reactions. Thirty-three had type I reactions while 9 had type II reactions. Each patient received 60 mg/day prednisolone tapered over a 6-week period. Motor conduction studies were performed on one clinically affected and one unaffected nerve and were repeated 12 weeks after the beginning of steroid therapy. Significant motor conduction abnormalities were observed in 14 affected (33.3%) and 8 unaffected nerves (19.1%). The majority of these nerves were in patients with borderline leprosy having type I reactions. Following steroid therapy, nerve function improved in 14 affected (33.3%) and 20 unaffected nerves (47.66%). However, 5 affected (10.2%) and 12 unaffected nerves (28.5%) showed a worsening of nerve function following steroid therapy. The majority of the nerves that showed improvement with steroid therapy had type I reactions, while those that showed deterioration had type II reactions. Steroids improved nerve function mainly in patients with type I reactions. Their role in patients with type II reactions remains debatable.

Mutilating keratoderma with deaf-mutism.

A 30 year old woman presented with typical lesions of mutilating keratoderma. The patient was deaf and dumb. Hyperkeratosis of palms and soles was present since infancy. Constriction of digits started by the age of 5 years. The clinical diagnosis was supported by histopathological examination.

Keratoacanthoma centrifugum marginatum.

A case of 38-year-old male with multiple keratoacanthoma centrifugum marginatum is reported. Clinical presentation was in the form of multiple, firm, non-tender skin coloured nodules of variable sizes. Diagnosis was confirmed by the histopathological examination. The case is being reported because it is a rare variant of keratoacanthoma.

Pattern of leprosy disabilities in Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh).

Out of 514 leprosy cases studied, 229(44.56%) had disability. Disability was most commonly seen in lepromatous leprosy. There was an increasing trend in disability with increasing age of patient and duration of disease. Disability rate was higher in males as compared to females. Nerve thickening and reactional states were more common in disabled cases. Dapsone treated group showed a disability rate of 63.8% as compared to 30.0% in untreated group. Hand was the most commonly affected site and mobile claw hand was the single most common disability. The overall disability index-D.I. (2) of Bachelli was 1.25 and lepromatous cases had highest D.I. (1.89). Disability index was higher in males and was found to increase with increasing age of patient and duration of disease.

A study of palmo-plantar lesions in leprosy: a preliminary report.

Out of 500 leprosy patients screened for palmar and/or plantar lesions, eighteen cases were detected. They were classified according to Ridley-Jopling classification. In majority of cases it was macular lesion. Cases were from TT, BT and BB group. In 50% cases, palmo-plantar involvement was associated with type I reaction. In 66.7% cases, it was extension of patch from surrounding area, 11.1% cases isolated lesions were seen and in 22.2% cases both extension as well as isolated lesions were present.

A study of cutaneous lesions of leprosy on male genitalia.

The cutaneous lesions of leprosy on male genitalia were studied. They were found in 2.9% of cases examined in this series. They were seen most commonly in borderline group. It is emphasised that it is not uncommon to find lesions on male genitalia in leprosy.

Calcification of ulnar nerve in leprosy--a case report.

A case of Tuberculoid leprosy who had taken irregular treatment for five years and had thickened ulnar nerve which on radiological examination showed calcification, is reported.

Male gonads in leprosy--a clinico-pathological study.

Sixty male leprosy patients (mean age 27.2 +/- 5.04 years) selected at random, were studied for gonadal involvement with the mean duration of illness 4.17 +/- 3.27 years. Only lerpomatous and borderline leprosy cases developed testicular and epididymal changes. Testicular pain and/or swelling (lepromatous 62.5%, borderline 30%) was the main presenting feature. Altered sexual function was observed in 34(56.6%) cases, and 11 patients revealed altered sexual hair pattern. Gynecomastia was seen in 9 cases. Reduced testicular size along with its soft feeling was present in 25% of cases while no testicular sensation was felt in 8 (13.3%) cases, and impaired testicular sensation in 9 (15%) of them. Spermogram revealed azoospermia in 19 (35%) and oligospermia in 16 (26.6%) cases. Histo-pathology revealed evidences of leprous pathology irrespective of testicular size, semen picture and clinical manifestations. There was marked variation in histopathological findings in testes and hence it was difficult to categorise them into vascular, interstitial and obliterative phase.

Rapidly Progressive (crescentric) Glomerulonephritis in Erythema Nodosum Leprosum.

A middle aged man was hospitalised in the state of acute renal failure with erythema nodosum lepromum. He was having progressive anaemia, oliguria, azotemia and impaired renal function. The outcome was fatal. Autopsy revealed smooth congested kidney with histopathological features of rapidly progressive - (crescentric) glomerulo-nephritis, presumably a result of immune-complex deposition from recurrent erythema nodosum leprosum episodes.

Surgical Repair in Rhinophyma.

A 55-year-old male Nepali patient developed rhinaphyma. he had rosacea aAd history of intake of alcohol for a long duration.The cosmetic defect was removed by surgical repair.