Leprosy - VnExpress Health

Leprosy, commonly known as leprosy, is not a hereditary disease. If not treated promptly, it can leave serious sequelae and disabilities.

The article was professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Thai Thanh Yen, Department of Dermatology - Dermatology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City.

Define

Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is a difficult disease to spread and often appears more in children than adults.

Reason

Leprosy is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium Leprae.

Forms

- Leprosy has many clinical manifestations, including two common forms:

* Tuberculoid form.

* Lepromatous form - lepromatous.

- From the two forms mentioned above, the disease is also divided into many different forms.

- Both of the above forms cause skin damage to the patient, but leprosy has a more serious impact because the structure of the tumor outside the skin makes the patient have a distorted, deformed shape.

- Leprosy often causes damage to the peripheral nerves, causing loss of sensation on the skin and gradual paralysis of the muscles. From there, the patient may gradually lose the affected hands and feet.

Transmission route

Leprosy is spread through the skin or respiratory tract when there is direct contact, over a long period of time, with secretions (nasal mucus, saliva...) containing disease-causing bacteria from a leprosy patient, especially during the development stage of the disease.

However, many nuns, doctors and health workers care for people with leprosy all their lives without getting the disease.

Incubation period

- Some other bacteria can multiply in a short time of just a few minutes, but Hansen's bacteria only reproduce once every two weeks. Therefore, leprosy appears very slowly after infection with the bacteria.

- The incubation period can sometimes last up to several years or several decades.

- When the disease manifests itself, the patient's body is already full of bacteria.

Token

-Patients often have clear and easily observable clinical symptoms.

- A sick person may have one or more symptoms:

* Skin damage, loss of sensation.

* Skin discoloration appears.

* Muscle weakness, numbness in the arms, feet, hands and legs.

- Skin lesions can appear singly or in multiples, sometimes red or pink in color.

- Typically, skin lesions caused by leprosy are often visible as spots (flat, discolored skin), red, shiny rashes, or papules.

Diagnosis and treatment

- The 2018 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of leprosy recommend a three-drug regimen corresponding to rifampicin, dapsone and clofazimine for all leprosy patients.

- Treatment duration is 6 months for PB leprosy and 12 months for MB leprosy.

Complications

If the disease is not treated promptly, it can lead to dangerous complications such as:

- Limbs are gradually destroyed.

- Peripheral nerve damage causes limbs to become immobile, stiff, and convulsive.

- Foot ulcer and infection.

- Cornea is damaged, opaque, increased intraocular pressure, dry eyes, leading to visual impairment, blindness.

- The testicles are atrophied, sperm is not produced, causing infertility in men.

- Eyebrow and eyelash loss.

Prevent

- Keep your body clean, bathe with soap.

- If you detect the disease, promptly treat it early to recover quickly and the source of infection will be quickly extinguished.