Ramos José M, Reyes Francisco, Lemma Deriba, Tesfamariam Abraham, Belinchón Isabel, Górgolas Miguel
Paediatr Int Child Health. 2014 Feb;34(1):24-8. doi: 10.1179/2046905513Y.0000000073. Epub 2013 Dec 6.
Childhood leprosy has an important bearing on the epidemiology of disease and reflects the level of control in a community. There is limited information about this disease in rural Ethiopia.
Data were collected retrospectively from leprosy patient records and treatment cards in a rural mission hospital in southern Ethiopia from 1999 to 2011.
Over the 13-year period, 298 patients with leprosy were registered for treatment. Of these, 22 (7.4%) were children (under 15 years) and 66 (21.1%) were adolescents (from 15 to 18 years). The male:female ratio was 2.6:1 in children and 1.7:1 in adolescents. Slit skin examination was positive in eight of 15 (36.4%) child patients and in 26 of 53 (41.3%) adolescents. Multibacillary leprosy was the most common type in both age groups, encountered in 95.5% of children and in 84.1% of adolescents. Six (27.3%) children and 18 (28.6%) adolescents had deformities of the hand, feet or eyes (WHO grade II), detected either at the time of diagnosis or during follow-up. Sixty-one per cent of children were transferred to their health institutions for treatment and follow-up; seven children (38.9%) completed the treatment and one (5.9%) defaulted while on therapy. Of 63 adolescent patients, 31 (49.2%) completed the recommended therapy, 28 (44.4%) were transferred out, and four (6.3%) defaulted on therapy.
Childhood leprosy continues to be a common problem in rural southern Ethiopia. Multibacillary disease and disabilities remain common in children. Early detection and treatment of cases including the study of contacts should reduce the burden of leprosy in the community.
儿童麻风病对疾病流行病学具有重要影响，并反映了社区的控制水平。在埃塞俄比亚农村，关于这种疾病的信息有限。
回顾性收集了1999年至2011年埃塞俄比亚南部一家农村教会医院的麻风病患者记录和治疗卡中的数据。
在这13年期间，有298例麻风病患者登记接受治疗。其中，22例（7.4%）为儿童（15岁以下），66例（21.1%）为青少年（15至18岁）。儿童的男女比例为2.6:1，青少年为1.7:1。15例儿童患者中有8例（36.4%）皮肤涂片检查呈阳性，53例青少年中有26例（41.3%）呈阳性。多菌型麻风病是两个年龄组中最常见的类型，在95.5%的儿童和84.1%的青少年中出现。6例（27.3%）儿童和18例（28.6%）青少年在诊断时或随访期间出现手、足或眼部畸形（世界卫生组织二级）。61%的儿童被转到其医疗机构进行治疗和随访；7名儿童（38.9%）完成了治疗，1名（5.9%）在治疗期间失访。在63例青少年患者中，31例（49.2%）完成了推荐治疗，28例（44.4%）被转出，4例（6.3%）失访。
儿童麻风病在埃塞俄比亚南部农村仍然是一个常见问题。多菌型疾病和残疾在儿童中仍然很常见。包括接触者研究在内的病例早期发现和治疗应减轻社区中的麻风病负担。
