Clinico-Epidemiological Study of Childhood Leprosy in Post Elimination Period at a Tertiary Care Hospital

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Childhood leprosy is important marker of thestatus of the ongoing leprosy program, as it is an indicatorof active disease transmission in the community, despite theachievement of the elimination status of leprosy in the year2005. The study was done to evaluate the epidemiological andclinical profile of childhood leprosy and to assess the changingtrends if any in the post-elimination period.Material and methods: A retrospective analysis of newlyregistered patients aged less than 15 years at leprosy outpatientin the department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy,from January 2014 to December 2018 at a GovernmentGeneral Hospital, Vijayawada. Year wise data were analyzedaccording to age, sex, geographic area, clinical spectrum,reaction, deformities, and contacts.Results: During the study period, a total of 481 patients wereregistered, out of which 66 (13.72%) cases of childhoodleprosy was observed. Multibacillary (MB) cases constituteda total of 68.18% while Paucibacillary (PB) constituted a totalof 31.82%. The M F noted was 1.41, urban to rural childrenwere 26 and 40. The majority of the patients were in the agegroup of 11 to 15 years.Conclusion: Rate of increase (doubled) in childhood leprosyis alarming, as an immediate and preventive measure,early diagnosis of childhood leprosy needs to be improved.Further, the importance of complete treatment, follow up,consequences, contact tracing should be stressed on.