MULTIBACILLARY NERVE HISTOLOGY IN CLINICALLY DIAGNOSED BORDERLINE TUBERCULOID LEPROSY PATIENTS

The classification of leprosy into multibacillary (MB) and paucibacill ary (PB) patients in almost all clinics is entirely dependent on clini cal examination. In a study of 21 patients clinically classified as bo rderline tuberculoid (BT) and, therefore, be longing to the PB group, skin smears and skin and nerve biopsies were examined. Four patients d id not have any histopathological evidence of leprosy, Skin smears sho wed that 1 patient was positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB), 2 skin bi opsies belonged to the borderline lepromatous (BL) category and showed AFB in their lesions, and AFB were present in 10 nerve biopsies class ified as BL. It is possible that reported relapses among PB patients m ay be in those patients with demonstrable AFB in the lesions, includin g nerves. A careful follow-up study of this particular group of patien ts after PB multidrug therapy is suggested to resolve this question.