Leprosy in children under 15 years old in a hyperdemetic area of the Northern Region of Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Santana, Letícia Cerqueira de
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Outros Autores: Rezende, Felipe Batista, Giovelli, Alexandre Arlan, Pedreira, Marina Soares, Martins-Melo, Francisco Rogerlândio, Monteiro, Lorena Dias
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Hansenologia Internationalis (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.saude.sp.gov.br/hansenologia/article/view/34600
• topic: Hanseníase; Criança; Adolescente; Epidemiologia descritiva; Diagnóstico; Leprosy; Child; Adolescent; Epidemiology descriptive; Diagnosis

Palmas is the most hyperendemic capital for leprosy in Brazil, with active transmission and persistence of transmission focus. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical and epidemiological profile of leprosy in children younger than 15 years evaluated by Complementary Diagnostic Investigation Protocol for children under 15 years of age (PCID <15 years between 2016 and 2017 was carried out. A total of 71 cases were evaluated by protocol. Of these, 83.10% had affected nerves, 92.96% multibacillary, 38.03% with degree 1 or 2 of disability. The OMP score ranged from 1 to 6 in 22.54% of the cases. The time of onset of the signs and symptoms was from 6 months to 1 year in 35.21% of the cases. 73.24% had people with skin problems in the family; 87.32% people with leprosy in the family. Between 1 and 26 lesions / skin patches were observed in 88.73% with loss of sensitivity. The presence of 1 or 2 BCG scars was recorded in 90.14% of the cases. The search for confirmed case contacts and timely evaluation is crucial for the early diagnosis of leprosy in children and adolescents, since only then it will be possible to reduce the sources of infection, interrupt the transmission chain, prevent physical, psychological and social disabilities.