title: Early diagnosis of relapse in borderline leprosy: two case reports.
abstract: Two cases of relapse in borderline leprosy were reported. Despite the late-reversal, reaction-like feature, the suspicion of relapse in both was based on persistent and slow-developing skin lesions and an absence of acute neuritis or reaction during one year of follow-up. The authors have considered this possible occurrence in lepromatous borderline-treated patients after their immune cellular restoration and defend that not all Type 1 reactions would be an inflammatory answer to persistent Mycobacterium leprae, but that they could be. Therefore, a relapse diagnosis could be applied and it is more advisable, as one year of Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) is less dangerous and more efficient for these cases than one year of corticosteroids.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology and Anatomopathology Services, University Hospital, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Luiza Figueiredo Braga
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Brandão
authors.forename: Cíntia Maria Oliveira
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piñeiro-Maceira
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: M Leide W de
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007917:Leprostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015439:Leprosy, Borderline / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D007917:Leprostatic Agents