01956nas a2200313   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653000900055653002200064653001600086653002600102653002700128653001100155653001700166653001100183653001200194653000900206653003900215100001300254700001100267700001500278700001500293700001400308245008300322300001100405490000800416520120400424022001401628       2001                            d  c2001 Jun10aAged10aAged, 80 and over10aConjunctiva10aConjunctival Diseases10aCytological Techniques10aFemale10aGoblet Cells10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aPemphigoid, Benign Mucous Membrane1 aIshiba Y1 aGoto S1 aTakigawa M1 aHarigaya Y1 aKosakai M00a[Evaluation of the conjunctiva of leprosy patients using impression cytology].  a406-100 v1053 a<p><b>OBJECTIVE: </b>To evaluate ocular surface disorders (OSD) similar to cicatricial pemphigoid in leprosy patients.</p><p><b>SUBJECT AND METHOD: </b>Sixteen leprosy patients were examined. They were under treatment as inpatients at the Tama Zenshoen National Sanatorium, an institution for the treatment of leprosy. In addition to routine ophthalmological examinations, the patients conjunctival goblet cells were examined using impression cytology. OSD similar to ocular cicatricial pemphigoid were defined as the presence of at least two items of the following: symblepharon, cicatricial contraction of the conjunctival sac, corneal neovascularization, and palpebral entropion.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>OSD was present in 8 of the 16 patients (50%). Goblet cells were either decreased in number or absent in 7 cases(44%), and included 4 cases with OSD. Six of the 7 cases(86%) with reduced or absent goblet cells had been diagnosed as leprosy prior to 1944.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION: </b>Reduction or absence of goblet cells is a frequent feature in leprosy patients, particularly in longstanding ones of 56 years or more. Insufficient initial treatment appears to be a major cause of this finding.</p>  a0029-0203