Sandbox john2: Difference between revisions
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==In Progress== | ==In Progress== | ||
A reasonable degree of certainty is required before making the diagnosis of leprosy. A suspect should not immediately be registered as a case because the diagnosis of leprosy has adverse social consequences. | |||
Leprosy is diagnosed when at least one of the following cardinal signs manifest: | |||
(1) Definite loss of sensation in a pale (hypopigmented) or reddish skin patch. | |||
(2) A thickened or enlarged peripheral nerve, with loss of sensation and/or weakness of the muscles supplied by that nerve. | |||
(3) The presence of acid-fast bacilli in a slit skin smear. | |||
Definite loss of sensation in a skin lesion may be detected by touching the skin lightly (use something like a piece of cotton wool). The person’s skin is touched in different places. The person is then asked to point to each place that is touched. If the person cannot feel the points of contact within the skin patch but does point to other places where the skin is normal, diagnosis of leprosy is confirmed. | |||
Examination of the nerves is an important part in the examination of a person affected with leprosy. But this requires experience and should be done only by staff specifically trained to do it. | |||
Skin smear examination requires a suitably equipped laboratory with staff trained to perform this test. Leprosy skin smear services could be made available in selected units (such as those already doing sputum smears for the diagnosis of TB). In most patients, a skin smear is not essential in the diagnosis of leprosy, but in some cases of early MB leprosy it may be the only conclusive sign of the disease. The majority of people with leprosy have a negative smear. | |||
Leprosy, a chronic [[infectious disease]], usually affects the [[skin]] and [[peripheral nerves]] but has a wide range of possible clinical manifestations. Patients may be classified as having paucibacillary or multibacillary Hansen's disease. Paucibacillary Hansen's disease is milder and characterized by one or more hypopigmented skin macules. Multibacillary Hansen's disease is associated with symmetric skin lesions, nodules, plaques, thickened dermis, and frequent involvement of the nasal mucosa resulting in nasal congestion and [[epistaxis]]. | Leprosy, a chronic [[infectious disease]], usually affects the [[skin]] and [[peripheral nerves]] but has a wide range of possible clinical manifestations. Patients may be classified as having paucibacillary or multibacillary Hansen's disease. Paucibacillary Hansen's disease is milder and characterized by one or more hypopigmented skin macules. Multibacillary Hansen's disease is associated with symmetric skin lesions, nodules, plaques, thickened dermis, and frequent involvement of the nasal mucosa resulting in nasal congestion and [[epistaxis]]. | ||
Revision as of 19:30, 5 July 2014
In Progress
A reasonable degree of certainty is required before making the diagnosis of leprosy. A suspect should not immediately be registered as a case because the diagnosis of leprosy has adverse social consequences. Leprosy is diagnosed when at least one of the following cardinal signs manifest: (1) Definite loss of sensation in a pale (hypopigmented) or reddish skin patch. (2) A thickened or enlarged peripheral nerve, with loss of sensation and/or weakness of the muscles supplied by that nerve. (3) The presence of acid-fast bacilli in a slit skin smear.
Definite loss of sensation in a skin lesion may be detected by touching the skin lightly (use something like a piece of cotton wool). The person’s skin is touched in different places. The person is then asked to point to each place that is touched. If the person cannot feel the points of contact within the skin patch but does point to other places where the skin is normal, diagnosis of leprosy is confirmed. Examination of the nerves is an important part in the examination of a person affected with leprosy. But this requires experience and should be done only by staff specifically trained to do it. Skin smear examination requires a suitably equipped laboratory with staff trained to perform this test. Leprosy skin smear services could be made available in selected units (such as those already doing sputum smears for the diagnosis of TB). In most patients, a skin smear is not essential in the diagnosis of leprosy, but in some cases of early MB leprosy it may be the only conclusive sign of the disease. The majority of people with leprosy have a negative smear.
Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease, usually affects the skin and peripheral nerves but has a wide range of possible clinical manifestations. Patients may be classified as having paucibacillary or multibacillary Hansen's disease. Paucibacillary Hansen's disease is milder and characterized by one or more hypopigmented skin macules. Multibacillary Hansen's disease is associated with symmetric skin lesions, nodules, plaques, thickened dermis, and frequent involvement of the nasal mucosa resulting in nasal congestion and epistaxis.
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