HIGHER INCIDENCE OF VIABLE MYCOBACTERIUM-LEPRAE WITHIN THE NERVE AS COMPARED TO SKIN AMONG MULTIBACILLARY LEPROSY PATIENTS RELEASED FROM MULTIDRUG THERAPY

As identified by a significant growth in the footpads of immunosuppres sed mice, the incidence of viable bacteria in a group of 26 multibacil lary (BL-LL) patients released from multidrug (MDT) treatment was foun d to be two times more in the nerves (46%) as compared to skin (23%). Evidently there was a positive correlation between the overall bacteri al load and the incidence of viable organisms. Bacterial growth was al so observed in two out of five cases where neither the skin nor the ne rve homogenate had shown any presence of acid-fast bacilli. Histopatho logy of biopsies, skin as well, as nerve, including those having viabl e bacteria did not show any features of active disease.