Publication:

Clinico-pathological study of cases of histoid leprosy

Background Rare variants of leprosy pose a diagnostic challenge and histoid leprosy is one such form of disease with unique clinical and histopathological features. The objective of the study was to study clinical and histopathological features of histoid leprosy.

Methods A prospective observational study was conducted at M. R. Medical College and Basveshwar teaching and general hospital, Kalaburagi from July 2018 to October 2019. Newly diagnosed and histologically proven cases were included.

Results Histologically confirmed histoid leprosy accounted for 8 cases (7 males and 1 female). Mean age of the patients was 44.5 years. Patients presented with papules, plaques and nodules over an apparently normal skin. Bacterial index ranged from 4+ to 6+ according to Ridley index. Histopathology showed circumscribed lesion with free sub-epidermal grenz zone and spindle shaped cells.

Conclusions As bacillary load is very high in these patients, they can form a potential reservoir of infection in the community especially in post leprosy elimination era.