Reactivated borderline leprosy: relapse or insuffi cient treatment in immunologically susceptible patient?

Authors

  • Jaison Antonio Barreto Diretor do Serviço de Epidemiologia do Instituto Lauro de Souza Lima.
  • Flávio Goya Instituto Lauro de Souza Lima
  • Rubem Mateus C Miranda Instituto Lauro de Souza Lima

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47878/hi.2006.v31.36360

Keywords:

hanseníase dimorfa, recidiva, tratamento, reação de Mitsuda

Abstract

A 31 years old man looked for specialized health service due to sensibility changes in his left arm. Clinical examination confi rmed this complaint. Skin smears collected from the altered area did not show acid-fast bacilli. Mitsuda reaction was negative and a biopsy from the skin did not show any bacilli or infl ammatory process. The diagnosis was indeterminate (early) leprosy, and multidrugtherapy for paucibacillary leprosy was started. Nine years later, he returns with several lesions characteristics of borderline leprosy, which was confi rmed by skin biopsy and bacilloscopy of skin
smears. The previous treatment may have not destroy all the bacilli. In this situation remnant bacilli could have replicated, slowly and rogressively, reproducing the large period of incubation typical of individuals with negative Mitsuda reaction. Limitations of diagnosis based only in clinical features and in the lesions count criteria are discussed.

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References

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Published

2006-11-30

How to Cite

1.
Barreto JA, Goya F, Miranda RMC. Reactivated borderline leprosy: relapse or insuffi cient treatment in immunologically susceptible patient?. Hansen. Int. [Internet]. 2006 Nov. 30 [cited 2024 May 18];31(2):35-8. Available from: https://periodicos.saude.sp.gov.br/hansenologia/article/view/36360

Issue

Section

Seção anátomo-clínica