Gallium scintigraphy in Hansen's disease

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Dermatology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Hansen's disease, also known as leprosy, is a chronic infectious disease primarily affecting the skin and peripheral nerves.
• Accurate staging and understanding of disease patterns are crucial for effective treatment and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of Gallium 67 (Ga-67) scintigraphy in characterizing the pattern of Hansen's disease.
• To correlate scintigraphic findings with clinical, immunological, and histopathological data.

Main Methods:

• 12 patients with documented Hansen's disease were evaluated using Gallium 67 imaging.
• Histopathology and Mitsuda reaction were used for diagnosis confirmation.
• Specific nuclear studies were performed for organ-specific evaluation when necessary.

Main Results:

• Ga-67 images demonstrated homogeneous, diffuse, moderate skin uptake in untreated multibacillary leprosy patients, with very marked facial uptake.
• Distinct patterns, termed "skin outlining" for body and "beard distribution" for facial skin, were observed in untreated multibacillary cases.
• Internal organ involvement varied, and a strong correlation was found between clinical, scintigraphic, immunological, and histopathological findings.

Conclusions:

• Gallium 67 imaging can reveal characteristic patterns in the skin of untreated multibacillary Hansen's disease patients.
• Scintigraphic findings correlate well with other diagnostic modalities, supporting its role in disease assessment.
• The distinct "skin outlining" and "beard distribution" patterns may aid in identifying untreated multibacillary leprosy.