Leprosy mailing list – July 1st,
2006
Ref.: Can
leprosy skin lesions heal and disappear, under treatment, in 3-6
months?
From:
Naafs B., Munnekeburen, The
Netherlands
Dear
Salvatore,
Ref. LML June 22nd asked by our colleague from Kinshasa.
(An important question which should have been asked by most
of the validators.)
Indeed lesions can disappear within a few months of
treatment. As mentioned
by others, Dr de Soldenhoff, it is than nearly impossible to
prove that it has ever been leprosy.
Lesions may even disappear without treatment, in HIV infected
patients and in patients on immuno-modulating therapy. Sometimes
lesions disappear and may come back when there is a restauration of
immunity during HAART or when a Type I leprosy reaction starts.
I do not believe in the neural theory of hypo-pigmentation as
is put forward by my friend Dr Salafia.
I believe more in the explanation of Dr Pran Das who
thinks of an autoimmune reaction, for leprosy as well as vitiligo.
His explanation fits in with the changes I have observed especially in
clinically indeterminate leprosy lesions.
Being more a clinician than an epidemiologist I can only tell
that I have seen the disappearance of lesions regularly, which fits in
with the data mentioned by Dr Saunderson.
With
kind regards,
Dr Ben
Naafs
