AIIMS BHU: 'Hidden’ form of leprosy can silently affect brain, spinal cord

A new study by researchers at AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Monday showed a lsquohiddenrsquo form of leprosy can silently affect the brain and spinal cordWhile leprosy is an ancient disease that often leads to disfiguring skin sores a lesserknown form of leprosy pure neuritic leprosy PNL can inflict significant damage without any visible skin changesThis hidden form of leprosy primarily affects peripheral nerves and is often undiagnosedNot being diagnosed on time can lead to delayed treatment and potential disabilitiesThe study published in the medical journal Acta Neurologica Belgica challenges the conventional understanding of PNL as solely a peripheral nerve diseaseIt highlights the importance of assessing central nervous system involvement for early detection and treatment a finding that can lead to new therapies and treatments that can boost outcomesA majority of PNL cases have subclinical involvement of the central nervous system said Dr Sanjeev Kumar Bhoi Head of the Neurology Department AIIMS BhubaneswarldquoThis means the disease can silently affect the brain and spinal cord even without causing noticeable skin lesions a hallmark of leprosyrdquo the doctor explainedThe new finding will have significant implications for leprosy diagnosis and management It will alsopave the way for earlier diagnosis and targeted interventionsOur study shows that PNL can subtly affect the central nervous system Such leprosy cases are often left undiagnosed due to the absence of skinrelated symptomsrdquo Bhoi saidHe stressed the need to test ldquoboth peripheral and central nervous involvementrdquo to accelerate early detection of PNL ldquoallowing for treatment to reduce disability risksFunded by the Odisha government the study involved a comprehensive analysis of 76 patients suspected of having PNLUsing nerve biopsies the team confirmed the diagnosis in 49 patients aged between 14 and 72Most patients were men a unilateral foot drop and claw hand was the most common symptom said the researchersThe team also suggested new approaches to PNL diagnosis such as Nerve Conduction Studies and Central Nervous System testsNerve Conduction Studies should be done for patients with nerverelated symptoms like sensory loss or muscle weakness without skin lesionsFor a more comprehensive diagnosis tests like VEP for vision nerve pathways SSEP for sensory pathways and BAEP for auditory pathways should be considered the study saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever