Conjunctival biopsy in patients with leprosy

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Infectious Diseases
• Microbiology

Background:

• Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, can affect various tissues, including ocular structures.
• Previous research has explored ocular manifestations and M. leprae presence in different eye tissues, but conjunctival involvement requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the presence of Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) in the conjunctiva of leprosy patients.
• To correlate M. leprae detection in the conjunctiva with leprosy types and treatment status.

Main Methods:

• Conjunctival biopsy of the bulbar conjunctiva (upper temporal quadrant) was performed on 120 leprosy patients.
• Patients included 30 cases each of tuberculoid, indeterminate, borderline, and lepromatous leprosy.
• Patients' treatment status (untreated, treated with multidrug therapy (MDT), or post-treatment observation) was recorded.

Main Results:

• Mycobacterium leprae was identified in the conjunctival biopsies of four patients.
• These positive cases included one untreated borderline leprosy patient and three lepromatous leprosy patients undergoing MDT.
• No M. leprae was detected in tuberculoid or indeterminate leprosy patients.

Conclusions:

• Conjunctival biopsy can be a diagnostic tool for detecting M. leprae in specific leprosy types.
• The presence of M. leprae in the conjunctiva is associated with borderline and lepromatous leprosy, even during treatment.
• Further studies are warranted to understand the clinical significance and implications of conjunctival M. leprae detection in leprosy management.