Role of fine needle aspiration cytology in diagnosing leprosy: in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Background: Leprosy, a chronic inflammatory granulomatous disease chiefly involving skin and peripheral nerves and occasionally other organ systems, caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It has tormented the human civilization through time immemorial. Leprosy remains a significant public health problem worldwide, especially in developing countries like India. The diagnosis of leprosy is not always easy because of long incubation period, over dependence of clinical expertise and a lack of rapid and simple diagnostic tool, patients remain undiagnosed for longer time. Fine needle aspiration (FNAC) technique is an inexpensive, rapid and accurate procedure for diagnosis of leprosy. We conducted a prospective study evaluating the ability of fine needle aspiration cytology in diagnosing and classifying leprosy lesions on Ridley-Jopling scale (R-J scale). The aim of this prospective study was to assess the usefulness of fine needle aspiration cytology in early diagnosis of leprosy, to identify specific cytological characteristics of diagnosis and to correlate the cytological smear findings with histopathology and to evaluate merits of relatively noninvasive procedure of FNAC over more invasive procedure-biopsy. Methods: The study is a hospital based prospective study carried out in the

Cytological diagnosis of erythema nodosum leprosum in clinically unsuspected cases: A report of two cases

“…According to The Ridley and Jopling's (1966) classification, leprosy is classified as tuberculoid (TT), borderline tuberculoid (BT), mid-borderline (BB), borderline lepromatous (BL) and lepromatous (LL). [ 1 ] The acute or subacute clinical manifestations of leprosy are often attributed to lepra reactions. These reactions are divided into type 1 reaction (or reversal reaction, RR), and type 2 reaction (or erythema nodosum leprosum, ENL).…”

Negative shadows conveying a positive note

“…Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae chiefly involving the skin and peripheral nerves . The histopathological findings in leprosy are related to the immunological status of the patient.…”

“…Later on they developed clinical and bacteriological finding in each of these groups. Clinicians have also adopted the Ridley Jopling nomenclature for classifying leprosy on clinical grounds …”

“…The diagnosis of leprosy has been based on clinical criteria of anesthetic or hypoesthetic skin lesions, enlarged or thickened peripheral nerves and is usually confirmed on histological examination . Fine‐needle aspiration cytology can be a rapid, safe, and effective alternative for diagnosing all groups of leprosy across Ridley–Jopling leprosy spectrum and particularly in the histoid leprosy …”