The marks of leprosy: disabilities caused by plantar lesions in discharged patients.

ABSTRACT

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that has a slow evolution and is characterized by dermatoneurological involvement. The health challenges surrounding this disease are closely related to the stigma that results from the physical disabilities it causes. This is due to its high rate of late diagnosis and the peculiar deformities that occur in its advanced stage. Evaluate the clinical and epidemiological aspects of patients with plantar lesions who were treated for leprosy in a dermatology referral unit. This is a cross-sectional exploratory field study that was conducted at the Reference Center in Tropical Dermatology and Venereology Alfredo da Matta (FUHAM), in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. We evaluated 36 patients with disabilities as a result of leprosy and who had plantar lesions. The most common ulcer site was the medial region of the plantar surface, which presented dryness and maceration with yellowish seropurulent exudate, fibrinous tissue and grade 2 depth. The study made it possible to observe the evolution of plantar ulcers resulting from the disease process, then evaluate them and discuss recommendations regarding the treatment and prevention of this type of physical disability.