02075nas a2200217   4500000000100000008004100001653001500042653001400057653001900071653001200090653000800102653002400110100001200134700002100146700001300167245016000180856005900340300001000399490000700409520144100416       2017                            d10aBangladesh10adiagnosis10aHistopathology10aleprosy10aPCR10aZiehl-Neelsen Stain1 aAlam MS1 aShamsuzzaman S M1 aMamun KZ00aDemografía, presentación clínica y diagnóstico de laboratorio para la lepra por microscopio, histopatología, y PCR de la ciudad de Dhaka en Bangladesh  uhttps://www.leprosy-information.org/media/626/download  a33-430 v313 a<p><em>Background: </em>Recent data regarding demography, clinical presentation and molecular diagnosis of leprosy patients are lacking in Bangladesh.<br />
<em>Methods: </em>A cross sectional study on 55 leprosy cases of 16–70 years old, both sexes was done. Ziehl-Neelsen (Z-N) stain, histopathology and PCR of skin specimens were done.<br />
<em>Results: </em>40% patients were between 21–30 years, mean age 34・5 years, male to female ratio was 2・9:1. Fourteen (25%) patients were destitute, 11 (20%) were housewives. 62% patients had more than 5 skin lesions. 58% had two and 36% had single nerve involvement. Altogether 9 (16%) were smear positive for AFB, 3 (33%) were graded as 2+, 2 (22%) as 3+ and 4 (44%) as 4+. Histologically, 52 (95%) showed features of leprosy, 14 (25%) were diagnosed as tuberculoid and 5 (9%) were lepromatous leprosy. In total, 40 (73%) of 55 patients were positive by PCR. Thirty (88%) of 34 multibacillary leprosy and 10 (48%) of 21 paucibacillary leprosy patients were PCR positive. One of 3 histopathologically negative leprosy patients was PCR positive.<br />
<em>Conclusion: </em>Multiple skin lesions and multiple nerve involvement are the predominant features. For diagnosis of multibacillary leprosy, Z-N stain and for paucibacillary leprosy, PCR are suitable methods. In smear negative cases, results of histopathology may be suggestive, and PCR can give confirmatory results.</p>