title: Presence of Mycobacterium leprae in epidermal cells of lepromatous skin and its significance.
abstract: A 49-year-old man with lepromatous leprosy treated with dapsone monotherapy for 12 years (1967 to 1979) reported in the hospital in 2003, with relapsed disease. A slit skin smear showed a bacteriological index of 4+. Biopsies from skin lesions before and after anti-leprosy therapy showed features of lepromatous leprosy. Both biopsies showed unusual features of bacillary clumps in epidermal cells demonstrating clearly that dissemination of M. leprae can take place even through unbroken skin. The presence of lepra bacilli in clumps in the epidermis is an indicator that the skin is a potential route of transmission of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Schieffelin Leprosy Research and Training Centre, Karigiri, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Jasmita
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Satapathy
authors.forename: Bikash Ranjan
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Kar
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Job
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D003622:Dapsone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007917:Leprostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012008:Recurrence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007917:Leprostatic Agents; D003622:Dapsone