The oral mucosa in paucibacillary leprosy: a clinical and histopathological study.
BACKGROUND
Involvement of the oral mucosa can occur in lepromatous leprosy; however, lesions in the oral mucosa of paucibacillary patients have not been previously observed.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study is to determine whether clinical and subclinical lesions exist in oral mucosa in nontreated paucibacillary leprosy patients, using clinical and histopathological examination.


METHODS
A clinical and histopathological study involving 30 untreated paucibacillary leprosy patients was conducted. All patients underwent biopsies of the buccal mucosa, soft palate, and tongue. When acid-fast bacilli in association with inflammatory infiltrate, granulomatous or not, were encountered, it was considered "specific" involvement of the oral mucosa; and "nonspecific" involvement when the bacilli were not encountered.


RESULTS
Eight nonspecific chronic inflammatory reactions and 1 granulomatous inflammatory process without acid-fast bacilli were detected.


CONCLUSIONS
Paucibacillary leprosy patients do not exhibit specific, clinical or subclinical, involvement in the oral mucosa; nonspecific alterations occur even in the absence of signs and symptoms.
de Abreu
Marilda Aparecida Milanez Morgado
MA
Department of Dermatology, Division of Stomatology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. lfmabreu@uol.com.br
Alchorne
Maurício Mota de Avelar
MM
Michalany
Nilceo Schwery
NS
Weckx
Luc Louis Maurice
LL
Pimentel
Dalva Regina Neto
DR
Hirata
Cleonice Hitomi Watashi
CH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000302:isolation & purification