Background: Leprosy (Hansen’s disease) - a communicable disease still continues to be a social stigma and leading cause of permanent physical disability. This can be prevented by early histopathological diagnosis and adequate treatment accordingly.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the spectrum of different clinico-histopathological categories of leprosy.

Material and Methods: This study was conducted from September 2016 - August 2018, in the Department of Pathology & Skin and Venereal disease on 62 untreated, clinically suspected cases of leprosy.

Statistical Analysis: Descriptive analysis was done in the form of percentage or proportions. P value < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results:   In this study 62 cases of leprosy diagnosed as per Ridley-Joplings (R-J) clinical classification were evaluated histopathologically. Most of the cases were seen in young adult males. Majority of cases (42 cases; 67.74%) presented with erythematous lesions and 20 cases (32.25%) presented with hypopigmented lesions. Multiple skin lesions and multiple nerve involvements were commonly seen in lepromatous spectrum. Lepromatous leprosy (LL) was the most common type of leprosy (24 cases; 38.70%) clinically. Indeterminate leprosy (IL) (21 cases; 33.87%) was most common type on histopathological examination. The clinico-histopathological correlation was highest in IL and tuberculoid leprosy cases. Overall correlation was seen in 36 cases (58.06%).

Conclusion: As clinical diagnoses of early leprosy lesions are difficult due to lack of cardinal signs hence biopsy should be done in all cases in order to improve classification and treatment.

Keywords: Clinical, histopathological, leprosy, lesions, spectrum.

1. WHO- Fact sheet on Leprosy: Status of the disease in 2015.
2. Pandya AN, Tailor HJ. Clinicohistopathological correlation of leprosy. Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology. 2008;74(2):174-6.
3. Sengupta U. Leprosy: Immunology. IADVL Textbook and Atlas of Dermatology, 2nd edn. Mumbai. Bhalani Publishing House. 2001:1573.
4. Bhatia AS, Katoch K, Narayanan RB, Ramu G, Mukherjee A, Lavania RK. Clinical and histopathological  correlation in the classification of leprosy. International journal of leprosy and other mycobacterial diseases.1993;61:433-438.
5. Ghodke BA, Valand AG, Deka AB, Ramraje SN, Ali ZS. Clinico Histopathological Correlation Study of Leprosy. Annals of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. 2017;4(6):A788-794.
6. Kumar A, Negi SR, Vaishnav K. A study of Clinico- histopathological correlation of leprosy in a tertiary care hospital in western district of Rajasthan. Journal of Research in Medical and Dental Science. 2014;2(3):43-8.
7. Nadia S, Rashmi J, Sohaib A, Rawat SDS, Selvi Thamarai N, Meena H. Clinicopathological correlation of Leprosy : A 4 year’s retrospective study from a tertiary referral centre in North India. Int J Med Res Health Sci. 2015;4(2):350-354.
8. Banushree CS, Ramachandra V. Bhat, Udayashankar C. Clinicopathological correlation of Hanshen’s disease: a retrospective study of skin biopsies. Indian journal of pathology and oncology. 2016;3(3);491-495.
9. Tiwari M, Ranabhat S, Maharjan S. Clinico-histopathological correlation of leprosy: A retrospective study of skin biopsy specimens in Chitwan Medical College. International Journal of Medical Science Research and Practice. 2015;2(1):8-11.
10. Badhan R, Kundal RK, Raj RT, Bahl RK, Bal MS. A clinicopathological correlation study of leprosy in a tertiary care teaching institute in Northwest Punjab, India. Am J Med Sci Med. 2014;2(5):99-108
11. Shrestha A, Chauhan S, Mathur M. Clinicohistopathological correlation of leprosy. Journal of Pathology of Nepal. 2017;7(1):1095-102.
12. Kumar SA, Ranjana S, Savitri S, Sanjiv G. How accurately do clinical diagnosis correlate with biopsy findings in leprosy? Journal of Pakistan Association of Dermatology 2017;27(1):23-9.
13. Lobo AC, Pai RR, Gautam K, Kuruvila M. Correlation of Clinico-pathological Classification of Hansen's Disease in a South Indian City. Indian J Lepr. 2014;86:147-54.
14. Janardhan B, Srinivas P, Shishir G. Histopathological relevance in clinical spectrum of Hansen's disease. International Journal of Medical and Health Sciences. 2015;4(4):457-61.
15. Arunagirinathan M, Muniswamy V, Jeevirathinam S. Clinical and Histopathological Correlation in Hansen’s Disease. Annals of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. 2017;4(4):A454-459.
16. Rizvi AA, Sharma YK, Dash K, Tyagi N, Yadava R, Sadana D. An epidemiological and clinico-histopathological study of leprosy in semi-urban area under Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation in Pune district of Maharashtra. Medical Journal of Dr. DY Patil University. 2015; 8(5):609- 13.
17. Kansagara MH. A clinicopathological Correlational study (unpublished Doctral dissertation) Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences. 2012.
18. Mathur NK, Mathur DC, Mehta RD, Mittal A, Jain SK, Sangal BC. Subgroups aming lepromatous leprosy A viewpoint. Int J Lepr. 1992;60(1):100-102.

Binay Kumar

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Mobile no. 9410713376