[Comparative analysis of the clinical diagnosis of hanseniasis and the histopathological examinations performed according to the criteria of the Madrid and Ridley-Jopling classifications].

A comparative study of the Ridley-Jopling's (RJ) and of the Congress of Madrid's (CM) pathological criteria was made in the different clinical types and groups of hanseniasis. A concordance between both criteria was found in the Indeterminate group and in the regressive phases of the Virchowian (V), Tuberculoid (T) and Reactional tuberculoid (RT) types. Clinical RT was confirmed by pathology in 81.2% of the cases according to CM, whereas 46.2% were considered "Borderline" according to RJ. Out of the 48 clinically V patients, 17 (35.4%) were "Borderline" (BL-2, BL-1 and BB), but practically all were also pathologically V according to CM. It is concluded that there is no practical convenience in the establishment of histopathological sub-groups that do not perfectly agree with clinical criteria. The Authors stress the importance of the study of the plasmocytes in the V infiltrates, of the lymphocytes in all granulomas and of the differences in the involvement of the neural ends, specially between the T and V poles. The dyeing of lipids by the Sudan III is useful to perfectly characterize the V pole, recognize residual V structures, separate the sub-groups BT, BB and BL, help in the early diagnosis of V infiltrations and differentiate the edematous, diffuse, non-granular cytoplasmatic vacuolization of RT.