Spectrum of physical deformities in leprosy patients visiting a tertiary care center in Mangalore

Background: Presence of physical deformities in patients with leprosy reflects the rate of disease transmission in the community; delay in detection of cases; and inadequacy or failure of treatment. Objectives: To determine the spectrum of physical deformities in patients with leprosy, to analyze the various sociodemographic factors affecting the study population, and to assess the treatment history of the selected number of patients. Materials and Methods: The study was an analytical study conducted on all leprosy patients who visited the dermatology out-patient department in a tertiary care hospital during the period of 1 year. Results: Males constituted 70.66% and females constituted 29.34%. It was found that a majority were in the age group of 21-60 years than in the extreme age groups (0-20 years and 61-80 years). Among the 92 patients studied, it was found that majority of the patients (60.86%) had WHO grade 0 or grade 1 deformity. Those with visible deformities (WHO grade 2 deformity) constituted 39.13% of the study population. Among those with visible deformities, the most common deformity was seen to be trophic ulcer (21.73%). This was followed by claw hand, foot drop, madarosis, claw toes, lagophthalmos, ear lobe deformity, facial palsy, and finally nose deformity. Conclusions: Our study found that more than one third of number of leprosy patients had deformities. It reflects the need for further efforts to curb this infectious disease and increase education among masses.