Leprosy is often looked upon with dread because of its propensity to cause deformities and disabilities, with resultant stigmatization, and continues to be an important health problem in several parts of the developing world. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, at the beginning of 2005, the global registered prevalence of leprosy was more than 286,000, and the number of new cases detected during 2004 was over 407,000. Of these, 47% were multibacillary cases, and 4% had severe disabilities. 1 Full control of leprosy has eluded attempts in many countries including India, Nepal, and Brazil. The causative organism, Mycobacterium leprae , infects mucosal, peripheral neural, and reticuloendothelial tissues. Depending on their immune response to the bacillus, patients present with different clinicopathologic manifestations, namely polar tuberculoid or lepromatous, borderline tuberculoid or lepromatous, mid-borderline, and pure neuritic forms. The most common manifestations of leprosy are hypoesthetic skin patches, cutaneous infiltration, peripheral nerve thickening, and “glove and stocking” sensory loss. Trophic ulcers, paralytic deformities, and resorption of extremities lead to the final picture of the polar lepromatous form of leprosy. Advanced lepromatous leprosy can involve most organs in the body, including structures in the ear, nose, and throat. Fortunately, the more advanced manifestations of otorhinolaryngologic involvement are becoming less common with the widespread use of multidrug therapy, but subtler presentations may be missed if not looked for.

Otorhinolaryngologic manifestations of leprosy.

The result of a study conducted on 30 patients of lepromatous leprosy regarding laryngeal involvement is presented. The incidence of leprous laryngitis is 36.6 per cent in this part of India in lepromatous leprosy patients. Leprosy is long standing disease so laryngeal lesions developed gradually and may be asymptomatic in some cases while others have been found to have variety of clinical manifestation in form of congestion, infiltration, nodulation, thickening and fibrosis. Anti-leprosy chemotherapy is equally effective on these lesions. A screening survey of laryngeal pathology in such cases should be done periodically.

Leprosy of the larynx.

Laryngitis--diagnosis and management.

Leprosy of the larynx and its clinical manifestations – A case report

Lepromatous leprosy with laryngeal involvement.

Ten established cases of lepromatous leprosy with laryngeal involvement are reported, and their clinical and histopathological findings are discussed with a brief review of the literature.

Gupta Op

Papers

Leprosy of the larynx: a clinicopathological study.