Influence of the evolution time previous to diagnosis in disabilities present at the initial examination in patients with multibacillary leprosy

• Autor(a) principal: Pimentel, Maria Inês Fenandes
• Data de Publicação: 2002
• Outros Autores: Nery, José Augusto da Costa, Borges, Esther, Gonçalves, Rosângela Rolo, Samo, Euzenir Nunes
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Hansenologia Internationalis (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.saude.sp.gov.br/hansenologia/article/view/36415
• topic: Hanseníase multibacilar; grau deincapacidade; retardo no diagnóstico; Multibacillary leprosy; disability grade; delay in diagnosis

Aiming to determine the influence of the evolution period prior to diagnosis in the prevalence of disabilities detected at the initial examination of multibaci lary leprosy patients, one hundred patients (18% BB; 47% BL; and 35% LL) were asked in anamnesis to ascertain the evolution period of the disease before the diagnosis was made. More than 2/3 of the patients (71%) had diagnosis in a time period of over 6 months of disease evolution (55% in a time period of over 12 months of disease evolution). The patients were evaluated in respect to physical disabilities at the time of diagnosis through the disability grade before treatment (DGBT). In relation to the disabilities presented at the initial examination, 44% presented DGBT = 0; 33% presented DGBT = 1; 22% presented DGBT = 2; and 1% presented DGBT = 3. The evolution period prior to diagnosis was correlated with DGBT (correlation coefiáent = 0.243440135), and the Kruskal-Wallis one way analisys of variance demonstrated p value = 0.012606. It was statistically significant even when the evolution time prior to diagnosis was grouped in 12-months periods (p = 0.019428) and in up to 6 months and above 6 months of disease (p = 0.012613). Patients with longer evolution periods before diagnosis presented higher disability grade before treatment, while patients whose diagnosis was made up to 6 months of disease, presented less disabilities. These data show the importance of early diagnosis in the prevention of disabilities related to leprosy.