Pre- and post-surgical evaluation of the impact on Hansen disease sequealae patients' quality of life submitted to orthopedic surgery for closure of chronic plantar ulcers.

INTRODUCTION: Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that still persists as a public health problem in Brazil. Plantar ulcers are serious complications due to leprosy neuropathy and intensify the isolation and stigma of these individuals. The difficulty in closing these lesions associated with the fetid odor negatively impact the quality of life of people with these lesions. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical, socioeconomic conditions, degree of satisfaction and quality of life (QoL) of patients after healing of chronic ulcers on feet submitted to orthopedic surgery. METHODOLOGY: This is a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and observational study carried out with 92 people after surgical treatment of chronic leprosy plantar ulcers. These patients were submitted to a semi-structured questionnaire raising questions of an epidemiological, socioeconomic and perception of quality-of-life order, comparing before and after the surgical procedure. RESULTS: Decrease in indicators - alcohol consumption, tobacco consumption, average monthly cost of analgesic medications, fetid wound odor, foot pain and number of dressings performed weekly; Recurrence of lesions in 55.4 % of cases, related to irregular use or lack of shoes and insoles; Improvement in self-perception of Quality of Life (QoL) in 89.1 % of patients after surgery. CONCLUSION: Orthopedic surgical treatment with resection of plantar bony prominences and skin grafting is an effective therapeutic method for closing chronic plantar ulcers in leprosy, resulting in a decrease in the financial costs employed and in an important improvement in the Quality-of-Life parameters of the individuals undergoing to this procedure. The availability and regular use of shoes and insoles is crucial to prevent recurrence of these injuries.

Follicular mucinosis: an important differential diagnosis of leprosy in an endemic area.

Primary follicular mucinosis is a rare dermatosis characterized by the accumulation of mucin in the follicular epithelium and sebaceous glands. Clinically, it is characterized by the presence of papules or well-circumscribed and infiltrated plaques. In this paper, we report the case of a female patient, seven years old, evolving for three months with an asymptomatic, erythematous and infiltrated plaque located in the chin region. The research of thermal, pain and tactile sensitivity was inconclusive. Histological findings confirmed the diagnosis of follicular mucinosis. There was regression of the lesion with the use of medium potency topical corticosteroids for 20 days. The pathogenesis of follicular mucinosis remains unknown, being in some cases associated with lymphoproliferative disorders. In endemic areas of leprosy, isolated and infiltrated follicular mucinosis lesions should be further differentiated from leprosy.

Follicular mucinosis: an important differential diagnosis of leprosy in an endemic area

Primary follicular mucinosis is a rare dermatosis characterized by the accumulation of mucin in the follicular epithelium and sebaceous glands. Clinically, it is characterized by the presence of papules or well-circumscribed and infiltrated plaques. In this paper, we report the case of a female patient, seven years old, evolving for three months with an asymptomatic, erythematous and infiltrated plaque located in the chin region. The research of thermal, pain and tactile sensitivity was inconclusive. Histological findings confirmed the diagnosis of follicular mucinosis. There was regression of the lesion with the use of medium potency topical corticosteroids for 20 days. The pathogenesis of follicular mucinosis remains unknown, being in some cases associated with lymphoproliferative disorders. In endemic areas of leprosy, isolated and infiltrated follicular mucinosis lesions should be further differentiated from leprosy.

Compreensão da importância do exame ocular preventivo entre hansenianos de duas Instituições de referência / Comprehension of the importance of preventive ocular exam among Hansen´s disease patients from two referral centers

Objetivo. Avaliar o conhecimento dos pacientes portadores de morbus Hansen, da necessidade da realização de exames oftalmológicos periódicos, visando à prevenção das complicações oculares relacionadas à sua patologia. Métodos. Avaliados 113 pacientes ambulatoriais com diagnóstico prévio de hanseníase, sendo 57 casos provenientes do Hospital Universitário de Brasília, e 56 pacientes provenientes da Fundação Instituto de Dermatologia Tropical e Venereologia Alfredo da Mata FUAM (centros de referência regional em dermatoses e hanseníase). Após assinatura de termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido, foram estimulados a responder questionário elaborado especificamente para este estudo. Também foram examinados os prontuários desses doentes para averiguar os dados de identificação, o nível de escolaridade, a forma clínica, e a duração da hanseníase. Resultados. Quando questionados se sabiam que sua doença pode levar ao aparecimento de complicações oculares, 24,8% dos entrevistados afirmaram que têm conhecimento dessa associação, 23% afirmaram desconhecer tal associação e 52,2% não souberam responder. Conclusões. Este estudo mostra ser inadequado o nível de compreensão dos enfermos com hansenníase com relação à sua doença quanto à possibilidade do aparecimento de complicações oculares. Enfatiza a necessidade que os profissionais de saúde envolvidos no tratamento de hanseníase informem aos pacientes, de forma clara, incisiva e objetiva, que a doença é potencialmente causadora de graves complicações oculares.

Objective. To evaluate the knowledge of Hansen disease patients on the demand of periodical ocular exams aiming at preventing eye complications related to their disease. Methods. A total of 113 outpatients with previous leprosy’s diagnostic, 57 from Hospital Universitário de Brasília and 56 from Fundação Instituto de Dermatologia Tropical e Venereologia Alfredo da Mata (both regional reference centers for dermatological diseases and leprosies), after signing an informed consent, the patients were stimulated to answer a specially elaborated questionnaire. Their records were examined to access personal information, school level, the clinic type of Hansen disease, and the length of the disease. Results. When asked if they knew that their disease could lead to the emergence of eye complications, 24.8% of the subjects answered they knew about this relationship, 23% answered there was no such association to their knowledge and 52.2% answered they did not know how to answer the question. Conclusions. This study demonstrates an inadequate level of understanding on part of the studied Hansen disease patients regarding the risk of their disease to lead to further ocular complications. It also emphasizes the necessity that all health professionals who take part in treatment of Hansen disease patients should tell them clearly and objectively their disease is potentially related to important eye complications, being such information a basic and extremely helpful procedure in preventing these problems.