title: Skin smears in leprosy: is reduction in number of sites justified?
abstract: An analysis of 377 sets of positive skin smears of leprosy patients was done to determine the minimum sites needed to detect all smear positive leprosy patients. A combination of earlobe and a selective site could pick up 95.5% of the patients. An additional smear from the forehead increased the sensitivity of 97.7%. The results suggest that the sites for skin smears may be reduced to a combination of the earlobe and one selective site smear from a skin lesion to be able to detect most smear positive leprosy patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Clinical Pathology, Schieffelin Leprosy Research and Training Centre, Karigiri, Inde.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sujai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vilvanathan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nisha
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arunthathi
mesh_terms: D002081:Buttocks / Q000382:microbiology; D002680:Chin / Q000382:microbiology; D004431:Ear, External / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005546:Forehead / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*; D013848:Thigh / Q000382:microbiology