Early prediction of neuropathic wrist arthropathy in egyptian leprotic patients

Abstract EN

Hypothesis: leprosy is a chronic dermatologic and neurologic condition caused by the organism, an obligate intracellular acid fast bacillus with a predilection for dermal and neural cells (John, 2006).

Objective : we investigated the early prediction of the neuropathic wrist arthropathy in Egyptian leprosy patients.

Methodology : thirty six leprosy patients (26 males & 10 females) their ages ranged from 15-60 years with mean (44.83 + 16.75) and the disease duration ranged from 1-35 years with mean (15.70 + 4.70) in addition to thirty control subjects(22 males & 8 females) their age ranged from 12-58 years with mean (32.03 + 11.99) were included in the study.

Careful history examination with a special attention to family history, Neurological examination and Hematological & Radiological examination of both wrists joints, ESR, CBC, RF, urine & stool analysis and kidney & liver functions.

Results : the wrist joints are highly significantly involved in the patients group than in the control group with a higher predilection to the sensory impaired patients than the motor impaired patients.

Conclusion : we can conclude that the radio carpal joints may be affected by neuropathic arthropathy in leprosy patients with sensory impairment.