Pathologic changes in striated muscles in leprosy

Eighteen muscle biopsies from male adult patients of lepromatous and borderline lepromatous leprosy were studied. BI in the biopsies ranged from 1 + to 3+. There was conspicuous absence of granuloma except for a collection of foamy histiocytes in intermysial region and on two occasions in the intermysial nerve endings in LL patients. At places solid staining bacilli were seen in normal looking muscles. None of the biopsies showed loss of muscle striations, fatty change, sarcolemmal changes, fibrosis and necrosis. Hyaline change was seen in two specimens only. Details of these are discussed in this paper.