Abstract

MORANO, S; MORANO, M; PAREDES, SN  and  IRIBAS, JL. Leprosy in Santa Fe: Clinical-epidemiological characteristics. Rev. argent. dermatol. [online]. 2016, vol.97, n.4, pp.19-29. ISSN 1851-300X.

Leprosy is a chronic disease which, despite having a variable clinic, is diagnosable and treatable when receiving a multidrug therapy (MDT) as the one proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). In Argentina, it is characterized by moderate endemicity and focus on certain geographic areas (provinces of northeastern, northwest and center of Argentina). General Objective: determine the clinical and epidemiological behavior of leprosy in the province of Santa Fe. Methods and Materials: the cases reported since 1º January 2012 to 31 August 2016, were retrospectively collected from the review of the epidemiological records of the Ministry of Health, Environment and Social Action of the Province of Santa Fe. The variables were: age and sex of the patient, residence, epidemiological focus, environmental and economic conditions, kind of leprosy, degree of disability and finally the treatment. Results: 86 cases of leprosy were diagnosed: 59,3% were male and 40,7% sex, were female. The average age was 56 years. 86% of cases were multibacillary and  lepromatous leprosy was the most frequent clinical form. The 26,7% had disability at the moment of diagnosis, 16,3% 10,5% grade 1 and grade 2. Conclusion: in the Province of Santa Fe, the detection of new leprosy cases have been stable in the last years, with a minimun of 17 and a maximum of 29 cases per year. Rosario was the city with more registered cases, followed by: La capital, General Obligado y Nueve de Julio. The most affected patients were male, and 60% of cases reported between 35 and 66 years. Multibacillary cases prevailed over paucibacillary; the most frequent clinical form was lepromatous leprosy. One in four patients had disability at the moment of diagnosis.

Keywords : leprosy; Hansen's disease; clinical forms; epidemiology; Santa Fe.