[Characteristics of leprosy reactions in paucibacillary and multibacillary individuals attended at two reference centers in Recife, Pernambuco].
BACKGROUND
Significant reactions frequently occur among leprosy cases, and thus a significant proportion of leprosy patients present disabilities and undergo leprosy retreatment. Clinical-epidemiological characterization of reaction patterns is essential for managing such patients. Objective to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of leprosy reactions among paucibacillary and multibacillary individuals.


METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, 201 patients with histories of reactions who were attended at two reference centers for leprosy treatment were evaluated. Variables such as initial bacilloscopy, sex, age, skin phototype, origin, clinical presentation, type of treatment, type of reaction, final bacilloscopy index and time of reaction onset in relation to the treatment were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using simple frequencies. To calculate risk factors for multibacillary forms, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.


RESULTS
Male sex, age between 30 and 44 years, phototype V, borderline clinical form, regular treatment, type I reaction, neuritis, presence of 10 to 20 nodules and onset of the leprosy reaction during the treatment were the most frequent findings.


CONCLUSIONS
Male patients predominated and were associated with greater risk of developing the multibacillary forms. Leprosy reactions occurred most frequently during the treatment. Multibacillary patients were more likely to need leprosy retreatment, and those with type I and type II reactions presented greater frequency of neuritis, lymphadenopathy, arthritis and iritis than did those with isolated reactions.
Teixeira
Márcia Almeida Galvão
MA
Departamento de Dermatologia, Universidade de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil. marciateixeira@folha.rec.br
Silveira
Vera Magalhães da
VM
França
Emmanuel Rodrigues de
ER
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007917:Leprostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D056006:Leprosy, Multibacillary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D056005:Leprosy, Paucibacillary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D007917:Leprostatic Agents