Microbiological and Clinical Profile of Patients Suspected of Leprosy at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital.

Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The disease affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes. From the suspected patients, 2 or more Slit skin Smears were sent to the lab from different sites, the smears were stained with a modied Ziehl-Neelsen stain and the smears were graded by using the bacteriological index and morphological index. At our tertiary care teaching hospital which is a 750-bed hospital with a Leprosy care unit, catering diagnostic services to Leprosy patients under NLEP (National Leprosy Elimination Programme), we found an increase in cases of leprosy. Demonstration of acid-fast bacilli in slit skin smears by Ziehl-Nelsen's staining also aids in the diagnosis of leprosy. A reliable diagnosis hinges on a good histopathological diagnosis and demonstration of bacilli in the histopathological section So by keeping this in mind, the present study was undertaken to study the bacteriological and clinical prole of cases of leprosy at a tertiary care hospital in Pune, Maharashtra.