Pattern of arthropathy in egyptian leprotic patients

الملخص EN

Leprosy is a chronic mycobacterial disease infectious in some cases primarily affecting the peripheral nervous system and secondarily involving the skin specially the melanocytes and certain other tissues (Jopling, 1986).

Road, 1991, stated that, even countries with developed health services leprosy is often diagnosed only in an advanced stage of the disease due to : 1- In most societies, leprosy is not endemic and occurs only as an imported disease of minor public health importance.

2- Little attention is being paid to teaching leprosy in medical schools moreover; chapters of leprosy in general textbooks are not always updated.

3- Traditional fear is still common, the patients are often reluctant to expose themselves as leprosy because the fear of restrictive measures.

From this study we could conclude recent criteria for early detection.