People affected by leprosy are at risk of impairment, primarily due to delay in diagnosis. Despite increased efforts, reports from various studies suggest that leprosy is usually diagnosed late, and a high grade 2 disability (G2D) rate especially in untreated cases indicates delayed diagnosis. The study aims to determine the percentage of disabilities among leprosy patients and the association of G2D with various clinical-epidemiological factors. This retrospective study was conducted on 123 leprosy patients attending the Dermatology OPD of AIIMS, Raipur (India) a tertiary care institute in Central India from July 2020 to March 2022. All leprosy patients, including new, partially treated, on-treatment, and released-from-treatment patients, were included in the study. Clinico-epidemiological details of all leprosy patients presenting during this period were noted. 95% (118/123) were of multibacillary (MB) type as per WHO classification. G2D was found among 52.8% (65/123) of leprosy patients included in the study among which 12.3% had already completed treatment and 87.6% were newly diagnosed or under ongoing multidrug therapy. Claw hand was found in 34%, and trophic ulcer was found in 22.7% of leprosy patients. This study shows G2D to be more common in younger age ( six months, ≥ two nerve trunk involvement, Multibacillary cases with BI ≥4, type 2 lepra reaction, and untreated/ undertreatment cases of leprosy; however, the difference was not statistically significant. The prevalence of G2D remains high in the post-leprosy elimination era due to multiple factors, the most important being the delay in initiating treatment and the magnitude of the burden of multibacillary cases. Community-based similar studies could better comprehend the extent and reasons of G2D in newly diagnosed, on treatment, and treated cases for implementing public health measures
BT - Indian Journal of Leprosy LA - ENG M3 - Article N2 -People affected by leprosy are at risk of impairment, primarily due to delay in diagnosis. Despite increased efforts, reports from various studies suggest that leprosy is usually diagnosed late, and a high grade 2 disability (G2D) rate especially in untreated cases indicates delayed diagnosis. The study aims to determine the percentage of disabilities among leprosy patients and the association of G2D with various clinical-epidemiological factors. This retrospective study was conducted on 123 leprosy patients attending the Dermatology OPD of AIIMS, Raipur (India) a tertiary care institute in Central India from July 2020 to March 2022. All leprosy patients, including new, partially treated, on-treatment, and released-from-treatment patients, were included in the study. Clinico-epidemiological details of all leprosy patients presenting during this period were noted. 95% (118/123) were of multibacillary (MB) type as per WHO classification. G2D was found among 52.8% (65/123) of leprosy patients included in the study among which 12.3% had already completed treatment and 87.6% were newly diagnosed or under ongoing multidrug therapy. Claw hand was found in 34%, and trophic ulcer was found in 22.7% of leprosy patients. This study shows G2D to be more common in younger age ( six months, ≥ two nerve trunk involvement, Multibacillary cases with BI ≥4, type 2 lepra reaction, and untreated/ undertreatment cases of leprosy; however, the difference was not statistically significant. The prevalence of G2D remains high in the post-leprosy elimination era due to multiple factors, the most important being the delay in initiating treatment and the magnitude of the burden of multibacillary cases. Community-based similar studies could better comprehend the extent and reasons of G2D in newly diagnosed, on treatment, and treated cases for implementing public health measures
PY - 2024 SP - 265 EP - 271 T2 - Indian Journal of Leprosy TI - A Clinico-epidemiological Study of Disabilities in Leprosy Patients from an Endemic Area of Central India UR - https://www.ijl.org.in/published-articles/28122024073146/1.pdf ER -