AUDITORY BRAIN-STEM EVOKED-POTENTIALS IN PATIENTS WITH LEPROSY

Nineteen, randomly selected male patients with lepromatous leprosy wer e evaluated electrophysiologically. All of these patients had long-sta nding disease and were treated with dapsone alone. There were statisti cally significant differences between the values obtained in this grou p of leprosy patients compared to 20 age-matched controls in auditory brain stem evoked potentials (ABEP). The findings are consistent with a pathologic process located mainly between the cochlear nucleus and t he lateral lemniscus in the auditory brain stem pathways. It should be emphasized that our patients had long-standing disease which was trea ted with dapsone. ABEP could very well be different in leprosy patient s diagnosed early and treated for relatively short periods with multid rug therapy. Brain stem evoked response audiometry may be useful for e valuating the possibility of brain stem involvement in leprosy.