02289nas a2200265   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653002400054653002800078653003700106653002900143100001000172700001400182700001300196700001300209700001500222700001100237700001300248700001600261700001200277700001300289245012000302520158700422022001402009       2025                            d  c01/202510aCorneal nerve palsy10aCorneal Transplantation10aLamellar corneal transplantation10aNeurotrophic keratopathy1 aOno T1 aIwasaki T1 aTakada K1 aTokuda S1 aSakisaka T1 aMori Y1 aNejima R1 aKakibuchi M1 aMiyai T1 aMiyata K00aIncidence of corneal perforation and lagophthalmos in patients with leprosy in Japan based on 40-year observations.3 a<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aimed to report the incidence, characteristics, and prognosis of corneal perforation in patients with leprosy.</p>

<p><strong>Study design: </strong>Retrospective observational study.</p>

<p><strong>Methods: </strong>Patients who presented with leprosy and visited a specialised ophthalmology hospital (Miyata Eye Hospital, Miyazaki, Japan) between 1980 and 2020 were included. Their medical charts were retrospectively reviewed, and the incidence of lagophthalmos and corneal perforation was examined. Additionally, the presentation, treatment, and prognosis of patients with corneal perforations were assessed.</p>

<p><strong>Results: </strong>In total, the records of 472 eyes of 236 patients (128 men and 108 women; mean age, 81.2 ± 7.5 years) diagnosed with leprosy were reviewed. Forty-one patients were diagnosed with lagophthalmos, and two of these patients (4.8%) showed signs of corneal perforation. Patients with lagophthalmos presented significantly more frequently with cicatricial contraction of eyelids (p &lt; 0.001), superficial punctate keratopathy (p &lt; 0.001), epithelial defect (p = 0.039), and corneal ulcer (p &lt; 0.001) compared with patients without lagophthalmos. Patients with corneal perforation had uveitis more frequently compared with those without corneal perforation (p = 0.01).</p>

<p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Patients with leprosy frequently develop lagophthalmos. Patients with uveitis associated with leprosy are especially at risk of corneal perforation.</p>
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