A delayed diagnosis of lepromatous leprosy: pitfalls and clues to early recognition.

PURPOSE: To remind special attention to atypical symptoms of Hansen's disease, we report a case of an atypical case due to a delayed diagnosis. BACKGROUND: Clinical features of leprosy are well known, cutaneous lesions and involvement of the peripheral nerves being the cardinal clinical signs. Among these presentations, systemic involvement, including mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract and eyes, is rarely reported even if it is still commonly seen in endemic areas, in particular lepromatous leprosy. CASE REPORT: We describe here a new case of Hansen's disease in a 51-year-old Tunisian woman with an atypical presentation and a delayed diagnosis. The early symptoms of the disease were different from the main clinical signs of Hansen's disease since they involved the upper respiratory tract and the eyes. A nasal smear was positive for acid-fast bacilli, thus confirming the diagnosis of bacilliferous leprosy. Histological findings suggested the diagnosis of leprosy and were somewhat more characteristic of the borderline lepromatous type. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of Hansen's disease in patients with neither apparent skin lesions nor neurological signs is still problematic. Clinicians should not only pay attention to the more obvious signs in their own fields of expertise but should be aware of the possible systemic involvement of leprosy.

Bilateral lagophthalmos in leprosy: is it a rare phenomenon?

Lagophthalmos is one of the well known complications of leprosy due to involvement of the facial nerve. Herein, we report three cases of bilateral lagophthalmos due to leprosy which presented to us within a span of just three months. In all these cases, lagophthalmos was not the presenting complaint and it was detected by the treating doctor during examination. This report is being presented to highlight the importance of cranial nerve examination in all cases of leprosy as at times early changes of lagophthalmos may go unnoticed by the patient.

[Long-term results of two temporalis muscle transfer procedures in correction of paralytic lagophthalmos].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the long-term results and possible complications of a modified temporalis muscle transfer (TMT) with the Johnson's procedure in correction of paralytic lagophthalmos. METHODS: From September 1997 to March 2000, paralytic lagophthalmos due to leprosy in 92 patients were corrected with TMT. The 89 cases (127 to eyes including 51 unilateral and 38 bilateral) followed up 3 years after operation were analyzed. There were 69 males and 20 females with ages ranging from 18 to 65 years (52 years on average). The duration of lagophthalmos was 1-22 years with an average of 8.2 years. And 36 eyes were complicated with lower eyelid ectropion. Sixty-five eyes were corrected with Johnson's procedure (Johnson's TMT group), 62 with the modified TMT procedure (modified TMT group). The modifications were as follows: (1) omitting the fascial strip in the lower eyelid to avoid postoperative ectropion. (2) fixing the fascial strip of the upper eyelid to the middle or inner margin of the tarsal palate depending on the degree of the lagophthalmos to avoid possible ptosis of the upper eyelid. RESULTS: In Johnson's TMT group, the mean lid gap on light closure was reduced to 3.1 mm postoperatively from 7.7 mm preoperatively; and the mean lid gap on tight closure was reduced to 0.5 mm postoperatively from 6.1 mm preoperatively. The symptoms of redness (73.7%) and tearing (63.7%) disappeared or were improved postoperatively. However, ectropion and ptosis occurred in 24 eyes and 9 eyes respectively. The overall excellent and good rate was 58.5%. In the modified TMT group, the mean lid gap on light closure was reduced to 3.3 mm postoperatively from 7.5 mm preoperatively; and the mean lid gap on tight closure was reduced to 0. 6 mm postoperatively from 6. 3 mm preoperatively. The symptoms of redness (90.9%) and tearing (71.0%) disappeared or were improved postoperatively, and no ectropion or ptosis was found except one ectropion. The overall excellent and good rate was 87.1%, which was significantly higher than that of Johnson's group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The modified TMT is an efficiency and simple procedure with very few complications, and thus is strongly recommended for use when TMT is an indication.

[Bilateral lagophthalmos in lepromatous leprosy. Case report]. / Lagoftalmos bilateral en paciente con lepra lepromatosa. Caso clínico.

CASE REPORT: A case of bilateral facial palsy with paralytic ectropion, lagophthalmos and corneal damage secondary to corneal exposure in a long-standing patient with lepromatous leprosy is presented. Correction of paralytic ectropion was performed by medial cantoplasty, tarsal strip and Medpor lower eyelid spacer implantation. Lagophthalmos was corrected by gold weight implant in the upper tarsus. DISCUSSION: Ocular findings in leprosy appear in 72% of patients. Facial nerve palsy occurs in 3-19.8%, being bilateral in 5%. In long standing cases with corneal complications secondary to exposure, surgical treatment is required.

Lagoftalmos bilateral en paciente con lepra lepromatosa. Caso clínico / Bilateral lagophthalmos inlepromatous leprosy. Case report

CASE REPORT: A case of bilateral facial palsy with paralytic ectropion, lagophthalmos and corneal damage secondary to corneal exposure in a long-standing patient with lepromatous leprosy is presented. Correction of paralytic ectropion was performed by medial cantoplasty, tarsal strip and Medpor lower eyelid spacer implantation. Lagophthalmos was corrected by gold weight implant in the upper tarsus. DISCUSSION: Ocular findings in leprosy appear in 72 per cent of patients. Facial nerve palsy occurs in 3-19.8 per cent, being bilateral in 5 per cent. In long standing cases with corneal complications secondary to exposure, surgical treatment is required.

Tratamento cirúrgico da triquíse maior / Surgical treatment for larger trichiasis

O objetivo deste trabalho foi conhecer as características dos portadores de triquíse maior e a resposta ao tratamento (cirurgia de Van Millingen). Foram avaliados 100 pacientes portadores da patologia e observou-se que a doença foi mais frequente em pacientes acima da sexta década de vida, portadores de tracoma cicatricial, cirurgia palpebral prévia, blefarite e meibomite. A pálpebra superior e a inferior foram acometidas nas mesmas proporçöes. A resposta ao tratamento cirúrgico foi pior nos portadores de triquíase associada ao entrópio, havendo necessidade de nova cirurgia em 23,1 p/c dos pacientes. Os autores responsabilizam o caráter crônico-evolutivo das patologias de base pelas falhas do tratamento

Ocular leprosy in the Canal Zone.

The results of a two year survey of eye problems among the patients at the Palo Seco Hospital in the Canal Zone are presented. Only two patients, one classified as having lepromatous leprosy and the other as having the tuberculoid form of the disease, failed to exhibit ocular complications. The high prevalence of leprotic ocular disease (96%) is most probably due to the advanced age of the patients, the lengthy duration of their illness, and the high percentage of patients afflicted by the lepromatous form of the disease.