What does Paucibacillary in leprosy mean?
Paucibacillary (PB), or tuberculoid, Hansen’s disease is characterized by one or a few hypopigmented or hyperpigmented skin macules that exhibit loss of sensation (anesthesia) due to infection of the peripheral nerves supplying the region.
What is Paucibacillary and Multibacillary leprosy?
Paucibacillary patients are those who are skin smear negative and show no evidence of more advanced disease on biopsy. Multibacillary patients are those who are skin smear positive and/or have a biopsy indicating more advanced disease.
What leprosy looks like?
Signs of leprosy are painless ulcers, skin lesions of hypopigmented macules (flat, pale areas of skin), and eye damage (dryness, reduced blinking). Later, large ulcerations, loss of digits, skin nodules, and facial disfigurement may develop. The infection spreads from person to person by nasal secretions or droplets.
What are the 4 types of leprosy?
Types of leprosy
- indeterminate leprosy.
- tuberculoid leprosy.
- borderline tuberculoid leprosy.
- borderline leprosy.
- borderline lepromatous leprosy.
- lepromatous leprosy.
How did leprosy spread?
Scientists have learned that to catch leprosy, a healthy person must have months of close contact with someone who has leprosy. It’s believed that the disease spreads when a person who has leprosy coughs or sneezes. When a healthy person repeatedly breathes in the infected droplets, this may spread the disease.
What is the best medicine for leprosy?
Medical Care
| Age Group | Drug | Dosage and Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | Clofazimine | 300 mg once a month and 50 mg daily |
| Dapsone | 100 mg daily | |
| Children (10-14 years) | Rifampicin | 450 mg once a month |
| Clofazimine | 150 mg once a month, 50 mg on alternate days |
What is the current treatment for leprosy?
Hansen’s disease is treated with multidrug therapy (MDT) using a combination of antibiotics depending on the form of the disease: Paucibacillary form – 2 antibiotics are used at the same time, daily dapsone and rifampicin once per month.