Childhood leprosy in India over the past two decades

Clinico-epidemiological pattern of childhood leprosy in India over the past two decades were analysed from the Indian studies conducted during the years 1990-2009.

Twelve studies on childhood leprosy were included. Ten were conducted in health institutions and one was a community-based survey. Voluntary reporting was the principal method of case detection; community survey was adopted in two studies. Occurrence of childhood leprosy in tertiary care hospitals varied from 5.1-11.43%, in one urban clinic and the three leprosy referral hospitals it was 9.81-31.3% and peripheral surveys recorded 7.06-35.5% cases. History of familial contact was present in 0.66-47% cases. Borderline tuberculoid was the commonest clinical type, majority with single lesion. Other types were indeterminate (3.48-10.1%), borderline lepromatous (1.9-19.4%), lepromatous (0.1 to 9.38%), and pure neuritic (3.48-10.1%). Single peripheral nerve trunk was involved in 13.63-40-62% cases and multiple nerve involvement was recorded in 4.54-59.38% cases. The majority of cases were paucibacillary (43.28-98%). Multibacillary (MB) cases ranged from 2-56.6%. Slit-skin smear positive cases ranged from 5.42-25%. Lepra reactions occurred in 0-29.7% cases. Relapse rate varied between 1.16-7.1%. Deformity occurred in 0-24% cases.

Multibacillary cases were common among Indian children, some of whom were smear positive. Probably these cases were the source of many new cases. Pure neuritic leprosy was frequent among Indian children, so also the lepra reactions and deformities. The presence of familial and extra-familial contact with leprosy cases may be a cause of concern, as it implies continuing transmission of the disease.