Sette Christiane Salgado, Wachholz Patrick Alexander, Masuda Paula Yoshiko, Figueira Renata Borges Fortes da Costa, Filho Milton Cury, Soares Cleverson Teixeira, Barreto Jaison Antônio
Instituto Lauro de Souza Lima, Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil.
Departamento de Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2015 Mar-Apr;48(2):228-30. doi: 10.1590/0037-8682-0259-2014.
Exacerbation of the immune response against Mycobacterium leprae can lead to neuritis, which is commonly treated via immunosuppression with corticosteroids. Early neurolysis may be performed concurrently, especially in young patients with a risk of functional sequelae. We report the case of a young patient experienced intense pain in the left elbow one year after the treatment of tuberculoid-tuberculoid leprosy. The pain was associated with paresthesias in the ulnar edge and left ulnar claw. After evaluation, the diagnosis was changed to borderline tuberculoid leprosy accompanied with neuritis of the left ulnar nerve. Early neurolysis resulted in rapid reduction of the pain and recovery of motor function.