Leprosy mailing
list – April 2nd, 2005
Ccn: all.
Ref.: negative
skin smear examination
in PB leprosy
.
From: I Agusni,
Surabaya, Indonesia.
Dear Dr.
Salvatore Noto
,
I am a newcomer of this forum, but I always read all of interesting
discussions. In the WHO criteria for paucibacillary (PB) leprosy, it
is mentioned that PB leprosy has negative skin smear (no bacilli seen
under the microscope).
With the
sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, it is now
realized that many of PB skin lesions showed positive DNA of M. leprae, which means the
leprosy bacilli are present in the lesion.
What I'd like to say is actually the criteria for PB leprosy by
microscopic examination for acid fast bacteria, is not valid anymore.
The more sensitive tools we use will result in more positive of
leprosy bacilli in the lesion.
Hopefully the
forum can give some opinion on this topic.
Thank you.
Indropo Agusni
,
MD
-DV
Leprosy Study Group -
Airlangga
University
Surabaya
-
Indonesia
.
