Leprosy Mailing List – February 8th, 2007
Ref.: Clinical
scoring systems for multibacillary leprosy patients
From: Ahmad
L., Karachi, Pakistan
Dear Dr Noto,
I refer to Dr Narasimha Rao’s message
dated LML Jan. 25th, 2007; he was inquiring about clinical
scoring systems for multibacillary (MB) patients.
I think it would be good to have such a
scoring system. In my
knowledge some parameters have been applied for research purpose in
drug trial in polar lepromatous leprosy (LLp) by taking skin smears
and nasal smears for bacillary index (according to Jopling's
classification) from few particular sites (marked in body charts)
which shows highly infiltrated skin on clinical examination. This was done periodically
till patient was discharged from treatment i.e. negative BI
consecutively three times one month apart from same sites. However, borderline
lepromatous (BL) leprosy is unstable, especially during type 1
(upgrading or downgrading) and type 2 reactions, and such
parameters would be difficult to apply.
I too would be interested to know a useful
scoring system in the BT - BL range.
With best regards,
Dr Latif Ahmad
