Lymph nodes in leprosy

ABSTRACT

1- Clinically 155 acses of leprosy were examined for enlargement of lymph nodes, and or several showed definite enlargement in 95 cases. 2- In order of frequency the enlarged nodes were epitrochlear (62 per cent), inguinal (45 per cent), cervical (33 per cent) and axillary (20 per cent). 3- There was no correlation between the site of cutaneous lesion and the regional lymph node enlargement. 4- Biopsies were made of 40 lymph nodes; 24 from lepromatous cases (2 of them mixed), and 16 from tuberculoid cases. 5- Characteristic lepromatous infiltration of the nodes was found in all the specimens from the lepromatous cases. 6- Peripheral sinuses were involved only in 3 instances, whereas intermediary sinuses were packed with typical Virchow lepra cells in almost all of the nodes from lepromatous cases. 8- The reticulin framework in areas of lepromatous infiltration was well preserved. 9-Thickening of capsule, periadenitis, and patches of fibrosis were seen only in very few cases. 10- Sixteen lymph nodes from tuberculoid leprosy did not show any histological alteration from normal.