Profile of new cases of childhood leprosy in a hospital setting

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Leprosy (Hansen's disease) remains a public health concern, with childhood cases indicating ongoing transmission.
• Understanding the epidemiology and clinical presentation of leprosy in children is crucial for early diagnosis and effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency and characteristics of childhood leprosy.
• To analyze the types, clinical manifestations, and treatment outcomes of leprosy in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, hospital-based study was conducted.
• 800 leprosy patients were registered, with a focus on the 67 children (aged 4-14 years) identified.
• Clinical data, including leprosy type, lesion count, nerve involvement, and slit-skin smear results, were collected.

Main Results:

• Children constituted 8.4% of leprosy cases (67/800), with a male-to-female ratio of 2.5:1.
• The most common types were borderline tuberculoid (BT) leprosy (35.8%), followed by borderline borderline (BB) (25.4%) and borderline lepromatous (BL) (19.4%).
• Over half had multiple lesions, 70.1% exhibited nerve involvement, and 46.3% had positive slit-skin smears. 29 children received paucibacillary (PB) and 38 received multidrug therapy (MB) regimens.

Conclusions:

• Childhood leprosy represents a significant proportion of new cases, highlighting the need for continued surveillance and control efforts.
• Early detection and appropriate treatment, including multidrug therapy for most childhood cases, are essential to prevent disability.