[Current management of hand leprosy]

Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease caused by mycobacterium leprae affects an estimated 700,000 persons each year. Clinically, leprosy can be categorized as paucibacillary or multibacillary disease. Leprosy is important largely because of the deformities, disabilities and handicap it causes in a proportion of those affected by the disease. There are surgical procedures and techniques to correct or limit the deterioration of these conditions. In the past these surgical procedures were only performed in special institutions for treating leprosy and their complications. However, with the widespread use of multidrug therapy (PCT) and the consequent reduction in the prevalence of leprosy, there is progressive integration of the care of people affected by leprosy into the general health services. Surgery, as in intervention in the management of leprosy and its complications is used in patients who are already under anti-leprosy treatment, or after the have completed it satisfactorily. Therefore, preventive surgery like nerve decompression and corrective surgery should not be practiced in places where there is no leprosy program. This paper describes the nerve decompression for preventing paralytic deformities. Procedures for correction of claw deformity of finger and thumb resulting from ulnar or combined ulnar and median nerve paralysis, so commonly seen in leprosy-affected persons are given separately. In order to carry out these procedures, many involving tendon transfers with or without tendon grafting, the surgeon has to be well versed in the structural and functional anatomy of the hand and should training in hand surgery. Furthermore, supportive physiotherapy and if possible, occupational therapy services for pre and post-operative management of the hand should be available. If the corrective procedures are carried out in the absence of any of these requirements, the venture is bound to result in failure, worsen the hand disability as well as make any subsequent correction very much more difficult.