Perfil epidemiológico da hanseníase em menores de quinze anos de idade, Manaus (AM), 1998-2005

Trend of pediatric leprosy in an endemic area in Northeast of Brazil, 2008-2018

BACKGROUND

The incidence of leprosy in children is an important indicator of the disease's tendency in the general population and suggests intense circulation and transmission of Mycobacterium leprae.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the clinical, epidemiological characteristics and temporal dynamics of leprosy cases in children under 15 years of age from 2008 to 2018 in an endemic municipality.

METHODS

A descriptive study with an analytical approach was carried out with data from leprosy cases registered in the Brazilian Information System on Notifiable Diseases for the municipality of Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Pernambuco, Brazil.

RESULTS

Between 2008 and 2018, 112 new cases of leprosy were registered. Most cases were classified as paucibacillary leprosy and occurred in children living in urban areas. There was no significant difference in the incidence of leprosy during the study period. Only 4.5% of the sample presented reactional episodes, but a high number of cases were not evaluated for the occurrence of reactions.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study show a high incidence of paucibacillary leprosy in children and adolescents, which reveals active transmission in the community and failures in the detection of new multibacillary cases among adults. Children between 10 and 14 years old are more vulnerable to M. leprae infection and mainly develop paucibacillary leprosy.

Genotyping of Mycobacterium leprae in a Son-and-Father Pair of Patients Indicated the Possible Mode of Leprosy Transmission: a Case Report

One of the success indicators of the World Health Organization (WHO) leprosy eradication program is the decreasing number of new cases of pediatric leprosy with a grade 2 disability. A case of borderline lepromatous (BL) leprosy with partial claw hand in a 13-year-old boy was reported. On physical examination, we found claw fingers on the fourth and fifth fingers of the left hand accompanied by hypoesthetic erythematous plaques on both cheeks. The patient also presented with the enlargement of bilateral great auricular, ulnar, and peroneal nerves. The bacteriological examination showed the bacterial index 3+ and morphological index 35%. The results of histopathological and serological anti-phenolic glycolipid-I examinations supported the diagnosis of BL type of leprosy. Genotyping of Mycobacterium leprae by variable number tandem repeat of the patient showed 24 copies thymine-thymine-cytosine that were similar to his father, who had been diagnosed with leprosy 12 years before, without adequate therapy. The result indicated the possibility of leprosy transmission from the father to a son. This case report revealed the presence of leprosy in children with a multibacillary infection who have been living with leprosy family members. Genotyping seems to be feasible for epidemiological analysis of leprosy transmission.

Hanseníase em menores de quinze anos em municípios prioritários, Mato Grosso, Brasil

RESUMO: Objetivos: Comparar as características sociodemográficas, clínicas e epidemiológicas de indivíduos menores de 15 anos notificados com hanseníase entre os municípios prioritários e os não prioritários, bem como a distribuição espacial destes casos registrados em tais municípios. Trata-se de um estudo transversal a partir de casos novos de hanseníase em menores de 15 anos (n=429) registrados no Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação do estado de Mato Grosso, entre 2011 e 2013. Os casos diagnosticados foram comparados quanto aos aspectos sociodemográficos, clínicos e epidemiológico por meio do teste do qui-quadrado ao nível de significância de 5%. A distribuição espacial foi feita por meio do software ArcGis 10.2. Resultados: Dos 141 municípios do estado avaliados segundo a distribuição espacial, 58,1% (n=82) apresentaram coeficiente médio de incidência alto, muito alto e hiperendêmico, sendo que, destes, 34,1% (n=28) contemplam o grupo dos prioritários. Dos casos novos incluídos no estudo, 73,9% (n=317) foram notificados em municípios prioritários. Observou-se diferença na proporção de casos registrados entre os municípios, com maior proporção nos prioritários quanto à idade de 5 a 9 anos (χ²=4,09; p=0,043), raça branca (χ²=7,01; p=0,008) e forma clínica tuberculoide (χ²=3,89; p=0,048), e maior proporção nos não prioritários quanto à zona não urbana (χ²=24,23; p<0,001), duas a cinco lesões (χ²=5,93; p=0,014) e demanda espontânea (χ²=6,16; p=0,013). Conclusão: As diferenças evidenciadas em relação às características clínicas e epidemiológicas entre os municípios demonstram a dificuldade de controle da endemia em ambos os grupos de municípios.

Nerve Damage in Young Patients with Leprosy Diagnosed in an Endemic Area of the Brazilian Amazon: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

To describe nerve damage and its association with clinical and epidemiologic characteristics in young patients with leprosy diagnosed in an endemic area of the Brazilian Amazon.

STUDY DESIGN

All 45 patients with leprosy younger than 15 years of age and diagnosed at a health referral unit in northern Brazil were invited to participate in a cross-sectional, descriptive, analytical study. Subjects were submitted to a templated simple neurologic examination of the peripheral nerves and answered a structured questionnaire.

RESULTS

Of 41 cases, referral was the mode of detection in 33 participants (80.5%); 19 (46.3%) had been seen by 3 or more physicians to obtain a diagnosis, and 26 (63.4%) had received other diagnoses. The interval between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis was more than 1 year in 30 cases (73.2%). Borderline leprosy was the predominant clinical form (48.8%); 63.4% of the participants had multibacillary leprosy, 31.7% had nerve damage, and 17.1% exhibited disabilities. The following variables showed a statistically significant association (P???.05) with nerve damage at diagnosis: home visit by the community health worker, number of doctors seen, number of skin lesions (>5), and lesions along the path of nerve trunks.

CONCLUSION

Centralized healthcare, a low frequency of home visits by community health workers, and the difficulty in diagnosing leprosy in children are factors that contribute to late treatment initiation and an increased risk of peripheral nerve damage. In addition, multiple skin lesions and lesions along the path of nerve trunks require rigorous monitoring.

Trend of leprosy in individuals under the age of 15 in Mato Grosso (Brazil), 2001-2013

OBJECTIVE

To identify the historical trend of leprosy epidemiological indicators in individuals under the age of 15 in the state of Mato Grosso.

METHODS

Descriptive study with trend analysis of leprosy indicators in individuals under the age of fifteen registered in the Mato Grosso's System for Notifiable Diseases between 2001 and 2013. We used the Prais-Winsten procedure for analyzing generalized linear regression at a significance level of 5%. We considered as increasing time series when the annual percent change was positive, decreasing when negative and stationary when there was no significant difference between its value and zero.

RESULTS

We analyzed 2455 cases of leprosy and the average detection rate in individuals under the age of fifteen was 22.7 per 100 thousand inhabitants. The trend of the general coefficient of incidence was decreasing, with an average annual rate of -5.5% (95%CI -7.5--3.5). Increasing trend was observed with an increase of 6.7% (95%CI 2.7-10.8) in the proportion of multibacillary cases, 9.4% (95%CI 4.4-14.7) of cases diagnosed with dimorphic clinical form and 14% (95%CI 7.9-20.4) of cases with physical disability level 2 at the time of diagnosis. There was an increasing trend in the average proportion of examined contacts, with a growth of 4.1% (95%CI 1.2-7.1) and average proportion of healing was precarious (39.7%), with stationary trend.

CONCLUSIONS

The historical trend of leprosy cases in individuals under the age of fifteen proved to be decreasing in the period, however the trends of epidemiological indicators such as the proportion of multibacillary cases, physical disability level 2 and healing, indicate late diagnosis with stay sources of transmission and consequent worsening of the disease in the state of Mato Grosso.

OBJETIVO

Identificar a tendência histórica dos indicadores epidemiológicos de hanseníase em menores de 15 anos no estado de Mato Grosso.

MÉTODOS

Estudo descritivo com análise de tendência dos indicadores de hanseníase em menores de 15 anos registrados no Sistema Nacional de Agravos de Notificação de Mato Grosso, no período de 2001 a 2013. Utilizou-se o procedimento de Prais-Winsten para análise de regressão linear generalizada, adotando-se nível de significância de 5%. Consideraram-se como série temporal crescente quando a annual percent change era positiva, decrescente quando negativa e estacionária quando não havia diferença significante entre seu valor e o zero.

RESULTADOS

Foram analisados 2.455 casos de hanseníase e o coeficiente médio de incidência em menores de 15 anos foi de 22,7/100 mil habitantes. A tendência geral do coeficiente de incidência foi decrescente, com uma annual percent change de -5,5% (IC95% -7,5-3,5). Observou-se tendência de crescimento, com incremento de 6,7% (IC95% 2,7-10,8) na proporção dos casos multibacilares, de 9,4% (IC95% 4,4-14,7) nos casos com forma clínica dimorfa e de 14% (IC95% 7,9-20,4) nos casos com incapacidade física grau 2 no momento do diagnóstico da doença. Verificou-se crescimento na proporção dos contatos de casos novos examinados, com incremento de 4,1% (IC95% 1,2-7,1) e média da proporção de cura considerada precária (39,7%) com tendência estacionária.

CONCLUSÕES

A tendência histórica dos casos de hanseníase em menores de 15 anos mostrou-se decrescente no período. Entretanto, as tendências dos indicadores epidemiológicos, como a proporção de casos multibacilares, de incapacidade física grau 2 e de cura, indicam o diagnóstico tardio com permanência de fontes de transmissibilidade e consequente agravo da endemia no estado de Mato Grosso.

Leprosy in Colombian children and adolescents

While leprosy is not considered a public health problem in Colombia, affected children are an important warning sign, demonstrating the challenge of controlling the disease. Herein, we report 12 cases of leprosy in patients 5-17 years of age, summarizing our clinical, micro biological and treatment findings.

The burden of leprosy in children and adolescents in rural southern Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Childhood leprosy has an important bearing on the epidemiology of disease and reflects the level of control in a community. There is limited information about this disease in rural Ethiopia.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Data were collected retrospectively from leprosy patient records and treatment cards in a rural mission hospital in southern Ethiopia from 1999 to 2011.

RESULTS

Over the 13-year period, 298 patients with leprosy were registered for treatment. Of these, 22 (7.4%) were children (under 15 years) and 66 (21.1%) were adolescents (from 15 to 18 years). The male:female ratio was 2.6:1 in children and 1.7:1 in adolescents. Slit skin examination was positive in eight of 15 (36.4%) child patients and in 26 of 53 (41.3%) adolescents. Multibacillary leprosy was the most common type in both age groups, encountered in 95.5% of children and in 84.1% of adolescents. Six (27.3%) children and 18 (28.6%) adolescents had deformities of the hand, feet or eyes (WHO grade II), detected either at the time of diagnosis or during follow-up. Sixty-one per cent of children were transferred to their health institutions for treatment and follow-up; seven children (38.9%) completed the treatment and one (5.9%) defaulted while on therapy. Of 63 adolescent patients, 31 (49.2%) completed the recommended therapy, 28 (44.4%) were transferred out, and four (6.3%) defaulted on therapy.

CONCLUSION

Childhood leprosy continues to be a common problem in rural southern Ethiopia. Multibacillary disease and disabilities remain common in children. Early detection and treatment of cases including the study of contacts should reduce the burden of leprosy in the community.

Deformities due to Leprosy in Children under Fifteen Years Old as an Indicator of Quality of the Leprosy Control Programme in Brazilian Municipalities

The present study aims at analysing the degree of deformity in leprosy cases diagnosed in children under 15 years old and its relationship with operational and epidemiological factors. This epidemiological cross-sectional study was carried out at municipalities of three microregions in a Brazilian hyperendemic area. Data between 1998 and 2010 was collected from the Information System for Notifiable Diseases database. The average coefficient of detection was 32.96/100.000 inhabitants; 7.61% of new cases were diagnosed in children under 15 years old; 5% in this age group were grade 2 deformity at diagnosis. Prevalence of leprosy cases in children under 15 years old with deformity was higher in males (PR = 2.65;P = 0.032; CI 95%: 1.09-6.45) and in multibacillary patients (PR = 14.68;P < 0.001; CI 95%: 3.54-60.87) and lower when the detection mode was passive (PR = 0.73,P = 0.47, CI 95%: 0.31-1.73). Such context suggests high transmissibility and early exposure to Mycobacterium leprae since a lot of cases were diagnosed in children under fifteen years old and the incubation period of the leprosy bacillus varies from 02 to 07 years. This situation contributes to maintaining the chain of disease transmission in the area and indicates that health care services should intensify leprosy control.

Epidemiological profile of leprosy in the Brazilian state of Piauí between 2003 and 2008

BACKGROUND

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It is considered a major public health issue in developing countries.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the clinical and epidemiological profile of leprosy patients between 2003 and 2008 in the state of Piauí, to analyze detection and prevalence rates in the general population and in the population of children under 15 years of age, and to evaluate the predominant clinical forms.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the notifiable diseases database of the State Health Department, Piauí, Brazil. Medical records are retrieved from patients' charts using a specific questionnaire and the collected data is then entered into the database system.

RESULTS

Of the 12,238 cases of leprosy reported in this period, 85% represented new cases. The mean overall annual detection rate was 54 cases/100,000 habitants. The rate for children under 15 years of age was 15.3 cases/100,000 habitants. Overall, 52.18% of the patients were male; 64.66% were between 20 and 59 years of age; and 53.53% had the paucibacillary form of leprosy. Nevertheless, in 88.82% of cases of the paucibacillary form of the disease, more than five lesions were present, while in 10.55% of cases of the multibacillary form of the disease, no lesions were present. Over 20% of patients had some degree of disability.

CONCLUSION

These indicators point to a high circulation of bacilli in the community and highlight the extreme difficulty experienced by the primary healthcare network in organizing itself in order to ensure that patients with this complex disease receive an accurate and early diagnosis.

Report of three new leprosy cases in children under fifteen in the municipality of Itaguai, Rio de Janeiro: event alert for epidemiological investigation

Leprosy is an infectious disease with an average incubation period of two to five years. It is caused by Mycobacterium leprae, mainly affecting skin, mucous membranes and peripheral nerves. When it occurs in children under fifteen, it reflects an intense and long contact period, with a high bacillary load. Therefore, it is considered an important alert sign that points to the challenge of controlling the disease. The authors report three cases of leprosy in children under fifteen that occurred in the Itaguaí district, Rio de Janeiro. The epidemiologic implications of new cases detected at this age and the fundamental role of examining the patients' close contacts and the possible identification of source cases as an effort for leprosy control are discussed.

A method used to access the functional outcome of tibial posterior tendon transfer for foot drop in leprosy

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to access the postoperative functional results of posterior tibial tendon transfer for foot drop as a consequence of nerve palsy in leprosy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Thirteen patients (9 males and 4 females) with ages ranging from 9 to 69 years were submitted to posterior tibial tendon transfer by the circumtibial route to correct foot drop in leprosy. The length of postoperative follow-up ranged from 1 to 5 years. The Stanmore system was used as a method for evaluating the functional results of postoperative posterior tibial tendon transfer. This system is made up of 7 different categories and the total score is 100.

RESULTS

According to the Stanmore system, the results were poor in 1 patient (7.6%), moderate in 2 feet (15.3%), good in 5 feet (38.4%), and excellent in 5 feet (38.4%). All the patients were satisfied with the final outcome.

CONCLUSION

The posterior tibial tendon transfer for foot drop in leprosy was efficient in restoring normal function of the foot and gait without changing foot posture. In the absence of a standardized method for assessing the results of posterior tibial tendon transfer, the Stanmore system seems to be a good tool for an objective evaluation.

Recidivas de casos de hanseníase no estado de Mato Grosso

OBJETIVO: Comparar as novas entradas por recidiva de hanseníase em unidades básicas de saúde (UBS) e em unidades especializadas (UE) no estado de Mato Grosso. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com base em todos os registros (N = 323) de recidivas de hanseníase do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Sinan) de 2004 a 2006, notificados no estado de Mato Grosso. Os casos diagnosticados foram comparados quanto ao sexo, idade, aspectos clínico-laboratoriais e distribuição geográfica nos municípios. Para a comparação e cálculo das proporções das variáveis utilizou-se o teste qui-quadrado ao nível de significância de 5%. RESULTADOS: Das novas entradas de recidiva, 20% foi confirmado nas UE e 80% em UBS; entretanto, a maioria dos diagnósticos em UBS tinham baciloscopia negativa (÷² =12,34; p = 0,002). O sexo masculino atingiu 71%, com idade média de 43 anos. Não foi observada diferença nos percentuais das entradas entre as unidades de saúde segundo forma clínica, classificação operacional e grau de incapacidade física. Do total de municípios do estado, 64,7% apresentou recidiva, com percentual entre 6% e 20% de todas as entradas. CONCLUSÕES: As novas entradas de casos de recidiva em Mato Grosso são influenciadas pelos diagnósticos feitos em UBS, sugerindo que há deficiência na rede de serviços de saúde em reconhecer casos de recidiva.