Leprosy, still a burden! A retrospective study in a tertiary health care centre over recent 5 years

Background: Leprosy is a chronic mycobacterial infection. It presents with wide clinical variations. We come across many active and old cases in this area. Aim and Objectives: To analyse the clinical trend in Hansen's disease over five years in a tertiary health care centre. Material and Methods: This is an observational retrospective record-based study. The duration of study was five years starting from April 2015 to March 2020. It included the data of leprosy patients who were registered in the Department of Dermatology, Venereology, Leprology in a tertiary health care centre. Results: A total of 1183 leprosy cases were seen. Most of the patients were aged 21-30 years 382 (32.2%), youngest being six years. Males exceeded females 828 (69.9%).There were 1046 new cases (88.41%). Borderline tuberculoid was the most common presentation 440 (37.19%). Multibacillary leprosy constituted 1138 (96.1%), 33 of them were children. Deformities were seen in 84 cases (7.1%), predominantly in borderline tuberculoid spectrum 45/84 cases, (53.5%), claw hand 38 cases (3.21%) being most common.60 (5.07%) of cases had reactions (Type 1 reaction, 1.52% < Type 2 reaction, 3.55%). Conclusion: Though India is in post elimination era of leprosy, multibacillary leprosy is still prevailing, being maximum in year 2019-2020, 340 (28.74%). Thirty three of them were children. This shows active transmission among our population and should be an area of concern to health care facilities and policy makers.