[Leprosy in Guadeloupe (French West Indies): declining disease, increasing diagnosis delay]

Endemic for nearly three centuries, leprosy is declining in Guadeloupe: its prevalence has decreased by 75 p. 100 over the last decade. Because it has become rare, it may well be overlooked.

Retrospective study of all the new cases of leprosy diagnosed in Guadeloupe from May 1996 to May 2001.

In 10 cases of the 41 reported in this study, diagnosis had been delayed by more than 6 months. Nine of these 10 cases presented with classical clinical signs. The mean delay before diagnosis in these 10 cases was of 22 months (range: 7-36 months); the mean number of consultations with a physician before the final diagnosis was of 3.2 (range: 2-8). The mean age at the time of diagnosis in patients in whom diagnosis was delayed was significantly greater than those in whom diagnosis was confirmed rapidly (55 vs. 37 years).

In Guadeloupe, one patient out of 4 presenting with leprosy is diagnosed with a delay of more than 6 months, despite a classical clinical presentation. This is deleterious to the patients and health economics. The patients in whom diagnosis was delayed were older. This epidemiological tendency appears inherent to this form of "residual leprosy". The present rareness of the disease is responsible for a lack of knowledge of the disease by the physicians through lack of experience. This phenomenon is also observed for syphilis and measles. There is a real risk of underestimation or erroneous diagnosis.