Dapsone treatment and deformities. A retrospective study.

Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation conducted a study from 1963-72. Records of 2608 patients pertaining to type of leprosy, year of detection and registration, involvement of nerves, treatment, reactions, deformities, were available for a retrospective study. Patients having problems like neuritis and deformities and of the types lepromatous and borderline were the ones who tended to be regular clinic attenders. Lepromatous and Borderline and Polyneuritic types and N3 group were prone to develop deformities. There seemed to be association between reaction and causation of deformities. Because of the neurotoxic effect and ability to concentrate in the affected nerves, dapsone might enhance the risk of deformities. Low deformity rates in N1 and N2 types of nerve involvement reaffirmed the necessity of early diagnosis of leprosy.