A clinicopathological study of leprosy: a study of skin biopsies

Khushbu K. Tilva; Deepa Jethwani; Gauravi Dhruva

doi:10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20222520

Authors

Khushbu K. Tilva Department of Pathology, P. D. U. Medical College and Hospital, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
Deepa Jethwani Department of Pathology, P. D. U. Medical College and Hospital, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
Gauravi Dhruva Department of Pathology, P. D. U. Medical College and Hospital, Rajkot, Gujarat, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20222520

Keywords:

Clinicopathological correlation, Leprosy, Modified FF stain, Skin biopsy

Abstract

Background: Leprosy is a chronic infectious granulomatous disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The disease mainly affects peripheral nervous system, the skin and other tissues such as the muscles, bones and joints, eyes, reticuloendothelial system, testis etc. To reduce global load of leprosy, it is essential to have an early and proper diagnosis by clinical and histopathological correlation followed by proper and complete treatment. Aims and Objectives were 1) to study histopathological spectrum of various subtypes of leprosy, 2) to study the age and gender wise incidence of different subtypes of leprosy, and 3) to assess the concordance between clinical and histological diagnosis in cases of leprosy using Ridley-Jopling scale.

Methods: A retrospective observational study of 126 skin biopsies diagnosed as leprosy over a period of one year from August 2020 to July 2021 at P. D.U. Medical College and Hospital, Rajkot, Gujarat.

Results: In this study, most of cases occurred in age group (21-40) years (50.8%) and showed marked male predominance with M:F ratio=2.7:1. Lepromatous leprosy (40.5%) was the most common histopathological type of leprosy. Maximum clinicopathological correlation seen in HL (100%), LL (90%) and TT (71.4%).

Conclusions: Histopathological examination of skin biopsies and clinicopathological correlation both are essential for early and accurate diagnosis and typing of leprosy which is helpful in prevention of deformities and drug resistance by early and appropriate treatment.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Rao PN. Recent advances in the control programs and therapy of leprosy. Indian J Dermatol Venerol Leprol. 2004;70:269-76.

Tan SY, Graham C. Armauer Hansen (1841-1912): discoverer of the cause of leprosy; Singapore Med J. 2008;49:520-1.

Lowe J. Comments on the history of Leprosy; Lepr Rev. 1947;18:54-63.

Vasaikar MS, Patil BM, Thakur RY. A Study of Histological Types of Leprosy Along with Clinico-Histopathological Correlation in a Tertiary Centre from North Maharashtra Region. Ann Pathol Lab Med. 2017;4(3):A321-4.

Jopling WH, McDougall AC. Definition, epidemiology and world distribution. In: Hand Book of Leprosy. 5th edn. New Delhi: CSB Publishers and Distributors; 2015:1.

Shivamurthy V, Gurubasavaraj H, Shashikala PS, Kumar P. Histomorphological study of leprosy. Afr J Med Health Sci. 2013;12:68-73.

Lucus SB, Ridley DS. The use of histopathology in leprosy diagnosis and research. Lepr Rev. 1989;60:257-62.

Nayak SV, Shivarudrappa AS, Nagarajapa AH, Ahmed SM. Role of modified rapid AFB method in histopathological sections of Hansen disease. Indian J Dermatol Venerol Leprol. 2003;69:173-4.

Abulafia J, Vignale RA. Leprosy: pathogenesis updated. Int J Dermatol. 1999;38:321-34.

Ramesh A, Sampath V, Shvedha M. A clinico pathological correlation in leprosy in a tertiary care teaching institution. Int J Res Dermatol. 2019;5(4);870-4.

Porichha D, Natrajan M. Pathological aspects of leprosy. In: IAL textbook of leprosy. 2nd edn. Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd; 2016:134.

WHO Global leprosy update on the 2014 situation. Week Epidemiol Record. 2014;36:389-400.

World Health Organization. Global leprosy programme; Global leprosy strategy 2016-2020. 2016. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/ bitstream/handle/10665/208824/9789290225096_en.pdf. Accessed on 2 July 2021.

Shivani S, Nilesh S, Jignasa B. Clinicopathological correlation in leprosy. Int J Med Sci Public Health. 2019;8(6):459-64.

Roy P, Reeta D, Prabhakar P, Hogar M, Shilpi S. Histopathological study of leprosy patients in a tertiary care hospital in Navi Mumbai. Int J Health Sci Res. 2019;9(2):6-12.

Ruchi S, Mamta K, Punam P. Histopathological panorama of leprosy in a tertiary care hospital of Bihar. J Clin Diagn Res. 2019;13(4):12-5.

Bommaksanti J, Putta S, Gokhale S. Histopathological relevance in clinical spectrum of Hansen’s disease. J Med Sci Clin Res. 2016;4(12):14678-84.

Khammankar ST, Wagha S, Dawande P. Recent trend in leprosy: histopathological study aspect in a tertiary care hospital. Indian J Basic Appl Med Res. 2016;5(2):481-6.

Kumar A, Negi SR, Vaishnav K. A study of clinicohistopathological correlation of leprosy in a tertiary care hospital in Western district of Rajasthan; J Res Med Dent Sci. 2017;2:43-8.

Nadia S, Rashmi J, Sohaib A. Clinicopathological correlation of leprosy; A 4 years retrospective study from a tertiary referral center in north India. Int J Med Res Health Sci. 2015;4;350-4.

Sindhushree N, Vernekar SS. A study of clinic-histopathological correlation of leprosy in a tertiary care hospital, KIMS, Hubbali, Karnataka. Int J Clin Res Biol Med. 2018;3:29-39.

Kalla G, Salodkar A, Kachhawa D. Clinical and Histopathological correlation in leprosy. Int J Lepr Other Mycobact Dis. 2000;68(2):184-18.