Ocular complications of leprosy in Cameroon.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the main ocular complications of leprosy in Cameroon. PATIENTS AND METHODS: It is a prospective cross-sectional study which took place from July 1998 to January 1999 in five leprosaria in Cameroon. The ophthalmological examination of all patients was performed by the same team. RESULTS: Of the 218 patients examined, 60.1% were males and 39.9% females. 72.5% had a paucibacillary leprosy and 27.5% a multibacillary form. 77.5% of patients had at least one ocular lesion and 38.3% of eyes had visual acuity < or = 1/10. Madarosis and anterior uveitis were more frequent in multibacillary forms while lagophthalmos and cataract were so in paucibacillary forms. CONCLUSION: Ocular complications are frequent in leprosy in Cameroonians. It is a true public health problem and it is important to prevent these lesions by early diagnosis and adequate treatment.

Detection of anti-PPD IgG antibody and PPD-induced delayed type hypersensitivity in anterior uveitis patients.

Present study relates to the results of anti-PPD IgG, anti-A60 and antinuclear antibodies and PPD-induced delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) in 17 anterior uveitis, (AU) patients. Results of anti-PPD IgG assay revealed detection of higher mean antibody level (O.D. 0.11 +/- 0.06) compared to healthy controls (O.D. 0.04 +/- 0.03), other eye disease controls (O.D. 0.05 +/- 0.003) and leprosy controls (O.D. 0.03 +/- 0.03). Anti-A60 IgM antibody assay revealed insignificant differences in mean antibody levels between various groups. Four of 17(23.5%) AU patients and 1(5.8%) subject each, belonging to other eye disease and healthy control groups had raised anti-nuclear antibody index. Findings of PPD skin test revealed detection of moderate to strong (2 to 4+) reactivity in 14 (82%). AU patients. Conversely, 13(76%) healthy controls and 8(47%) other eye disease controls gave mild (1+) reactivity. Results of this study suggested possible role of hypersensitivity to mycobacterial antigens in pathogenesis of anterior uveitis.

Chronic anterior uveitis in leprosy: an insidious cause of blindness.

Chronic low grade anterior uveitis is the commonest cause of blindness in leprosy. It is usually asymptomatic until the late stages, and often patients seek help only after irreversible visual impairment has occurred. We present herewith several cases of this entity to emphasise the insidious nature of the disease, the extent of ocular damage it can cause, and the importance of early detection and treatment.

Uveal changes in leprosy.

A total of 424 leprosy patients were screened for uveal involvement. Uveal changes were found in 11.2% of these patients. Uveal involvement was more common in patients with greater duration of the disease and in patients on irregular Dapsone therapy. Of the patients with uveal involvement 82% were lepromatous, 16% were borderline and 2% were of tuberculoid leprosy. Uveal changes in form of active iridocyclitis (21.3%), healed iridocyclitis (58.5%), iris atrophy (10.6%), iris pearls (7.4%), small irregular pupil (46.7%), pupil refractory to dilatation (56.3%) were seen. Posterior segment involvement was rare. Lepromatous and borderline leprosy patients with no clinical evidence of uveal involvement had decreased power of accommodation as compared to normal subjects.

Clinical manifestations of iridocyclitis in leprosy.

Iridocyclitis--an inflammation of the iris and ciliary body occurs in lepromatous spectrum of leprosy of long duration. It is usually bilateral, has a very chronic course with acute exacerbations which are suppressed with the help of corticosteroids and other antiinflammatory drugs--Mydriatic to keep the Pupil dilated and also an antibiotic to take care of secondary infection which may be present. It is a major cause of blindness, due to its secondary damaging effects on the various ocular tissues. Medical and Paramedical Workers attending these patients must be made aware of the chronicity of the iridocyclitis so that regular referrals for examination of the eyes including slit lamp examination could be done and the activity of the disease and its complications detected early and treated. This chronic variety of iridocyclitis often gets less medical attention because of its insidious onset and minimal clinical signs in early stages, except by slit lamp examination. 57 patients suffering from iridocyclitis attending the ophthalmic department of S.L.R. & T.C. Karigiri were followed up carefully over a period of 2 1/2 years to study the clinical manifestations of iridocyclitis, it's complications and management.

Influence of untreated chronic plastic iridocyclitis on intraocular pressure in leprous patients.

The intraocular pressures of a total of 1015 eyes of leprous patients who never had ophthalmological care or local eye treatment were measured. The patients were categorised according to the type of leprosy they had the eyes were categorised as without or with chronic plastic iridocyclitis. In patients with the tuberculoid and lepromatous types of leprosy the intraocular pressure was significantly lower in eyes with chronic plastic iridocyclitis than in unaffected eyes. It has been shown that chronic plastic iridocyclitis which remains untreated for many years results in significantly lower intraocular pressure.

Lepromatous iridocyclitis diagnosed by anterior chamber paracentesis.

A 34-year-old man with a three-month history of intraocular inflammation after ocular trauma with a fir branch, had an acute unilateral fulminant iridocyclitis. The iris had a thick, gray, cheesy membrane composed of nodular lepromata. The patient denied a history of Hansen's disease, despite the dermatologic and facial features that suggested the diagnosis. Anterior chamber paracentesis and scleral nodule biopsy demonstrated Mycobacterium lepra. The iridocyclitis resolved after treatment with dapsone, corticosteroids, and rifampin.

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.

Prevention and treatment of eye complications in leprosy

Leprosy is a chronic systemic disease which gives rise to a variety eye lesions. It involves mainly the anterior segment of the eye. It is estimated that there are nearly 15 million or morwe leprosy patients in the world.