PURE (PRIMARY) NEURITIC LEPROSY ITS CONSERVATIVE AND SURGICAL MANAGEMENT A SIX YEAR STUDY AT MOHAKHALI LEPROSY CONTROL INSTITUTE AND HOSPITAL, DHAKA

There is a lack of knowledge regarding the types of leprosy cases attending the different hospitals in Bangladesh. The purpose of this study was to analyse the pure neuritic leprosy. The study was done at Mohakhali Leprosy Control Institute and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 1993 to December 1998. All the patients attending the Reconstructive Surgical out patient department were registered. Diagnosis was done by history and physical examination. Neuritic leprosy was diagnosed if there was anaesthetic skin area, weakness and wasting of muscles or tingling sensation/neuralgic pain accompanied by nerve trunk thickening. We studied clinical features and progression of 92 cases of pure neuritic leprosy. Numbness was the main presenting symptom. Mononeuritis involving the ulnar nerve, followed by the common peroneal nerve was the commonest problem. Slit skin smear for AFB was negative in all cases. We treated all 92 cases with a combination of Dapsone and Rifampicin and 2 cases developed a skin lesion after an average duration of 3 months.