Ocular manifestation in treated multibacillary Hansen's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To report the prevalence of ocular morbidity in patients with treated multibacillary Hansen's disease (HD) using modern ophthalmic diagnostic techniques in a rural community endemic for HD.


METHODS
Cross-sectional, observation study.


METHODS
All patients with multibacillary HD who had completed their multidrug therapy and who resided in 4 defined geographical areas in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.


METHODS
All participants underwent a complete eye examination that included slit-lamp examination, esthesiometry, gonioscopy, applanation tonometry, and dilated fundus examination, including a stereobiomicroscopic examination of the fundus at an ophthalmic center set up for that purpose. Glaucoma suspects underwent automated perimetry using a Humphrey Field Analyzer (Humphrey Instruments, San Leandro, CA).


METHODS
The prevalence of various ocular disease parameters were reported as mean value with 95% confidence interval. The difference of disease prevalence between various leprosy groups was compared using an unpaired t test. The association between eye symptoms and potentially sight-threatening complications was analyzed using the chi-square test.


RESULTS
Three hundred eighty-six of the 446 patients with multibacillary HD residing in the defined areas were evaluated. Four patients (1.04%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.0%-2.0%) were bilaterally blind; 33 (8.55%; 95% CI, 5.8%-11.3%) had unilateral blindness. Mean intraocular pressure was 12 mmHg (standard deviation, 4.1 mmHg), and prevalence of glaucoma was 3.6% (95% CI, 1.8%-5.5%). Potentially sight-threatening (PST) pathologic features (corneal anesthesia, lagophthalmos, uveitis, scleritis, and advanced glaucoma) were present in 10.4% (95% CI, 7.4%-13.4%) of patients. Significant cataracts occurred 3 times more frequently in those with polar lepromatous leprosy. The odds ratio for PST pathology in the presence of patient-reported symptoms (pain, redness, inability to close eye, burning, and irritation) was 2.9 (95% CI, 1.34-6.26).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients who have completed treatment for multibacillary HD continue to have significant ocular morbidity. A history of specific eye symptoms can be the basis for referral by field staff.
Parikh
Rajul
R
Bombay City Eye Institute and Research Center, Mumbai, India.
Thomas
Saju
S
Muliyil
Jayaprakash
J
Parikh
Shefali
S
Thomas
Ravi
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology; D002386:Cataract / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000453:epidemiology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D007917:Leprostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007918:Leprosy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014605:Uveitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007917:Leprostatic Agents; D002738:Chloroquine