Publication:

A study of clinico pathological spectral correlation in multibacillary leprosy

Background Leprosy expresses itself in different clinico-pathological forms, depending on the immune status of the host.The diagnosis and classification of leprosy have traditionally been based on the clinical examination with additional information from skin smears and histopathological examination. Very often, disparities between clinical and histopathological findings are observed. This study was aimed to correlate between clinical and histopathological spectral correlation of newly diagnosed multibacillary leprosy cases for a period of 1 year.

Methods The study was conducted in the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, for a period of 1 year. All newly diagnosed multibacillary leprosy cases were included.

Results A total of 40 patients with clinically diagnosed multi bacillary leprosy were studied. Maximum numbers of leprosy patients studied were in the age group of 40-49 years. Maximum clinical and histopathological correlation was found in 75% (9/12) in lepromatous leprosy and least correlation of 44.44% was noted in borderline lepromatous (4/9).

Conclusions In this study maximal clinico-histopathological spectral correlation was found in lepromatous  spectrum. The percentage of correlation was considerably less in all the other groups.