Histological studies in primary neuritic leprosy: changes in the apparently normal skin

Citation
S. Suneetha et al., Histological studies in primary neuritic leprosy: changes in the apparently normal skin, LEPROSY REV, 69(4), 1998, pp. 351-357
Citations number
15
Categorie Soggetti
Dermatology
Journal title
LEPROSY REVIEW
ISSN journal
03057518 → ACNP
Volume
69
Issue
4
Year of publication
1998
Pages
351 - 357
Database
ISI
SICI code
0305-7518(199812)69:4<351:HSIPNL>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
The visually normal skin of 196 patients diagnosed clinically to have prima ry neuritic leprosy was studied histologically to determine whether there w ere any specific changes due to the disease in this site. Histological chan ges due to leprosy were seen in 32.1% of the patients, and included, indete rminate leprosy in 19.4%, borderline tuberculoid leprosy in 6.6% and border line lepromatous leprosy in 6.1%. The remaining biopsies showed mild non-sp ecific dermal inflammation, mild nerve changes or no significant lesion. Th e nerve inflammation and/or granulomas were mostly in the deep dermal nerve s or neurovascular complexes. This study shows that there is a cutaneous co mponent to primary neuritic leprosy and the disease is not totally confined to nerves. The absence of visible hypopigmented patches in these patients is probably related to the deep location of the dermal inflammation.