ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2021
Low risk of relapse and deformity among leprosy patients who completed multi-drug therapy regimen from 2005 to 2010: A cohort study from four districts in South India.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Leprosy relapse after multidrug therapy: Systematic review and meta-analysis.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2025Pooled it
- Systematic Review of Survival Analysis in Leprosy Studies-Including the Following Outcomes: Relapse, Impairment of Nerve Function, Reactions and Physical Disability.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Lepromatous leprosy presenting with chronic painless ulcers and inflammatory arthropathy: a case report from a non-endemic setting.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- CCDC122-LACC1 gene polymorphism is associated with protection against leprosy in a population from Northeastern Brazil: a case-control study.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Article
- Leprosy prevalence spatial distribution and trend in a health region in Northeast Brazil, 2008-2017: an ecological study.Epidemiologia e servicos de saude : revista do Sistema Unico de Saude do Brasil · 2023Article
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8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionRelapse of leprosy among patients released from treatment (RFT) is an indicator of the success of anti-leprosy treatment. Due to inadequate follow-up, relapse in leprosy patients after RFT is not systematically documented in India. Relapsed leprosy patients pose a risk in the transmission of leprosy bacilli. We determined the incidence of relapse and deformity among the patients RFT from the leprosy control programme in four districts in South India.
methodsWe conducted two follow-up surveys in 2012 and 2014 among the leprosy patients RFT between 2005 and 2010. We assessed them for any symptoms or signs of relapse, persistence and deformity. We collected slit skin samples (SSS) for smear examination. We calculated overall incidence of relapse and deformity per 1000 person-years (PY) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and cumulative risk of relapse.
resultsOverall, we identified 69 relapse events, 58 and 11, during the first and second follow-up surveys, respectively. The incidence of relapse was 5.42 per 1000 PY, which declined over the years after RFT. The cumulative risk of relapse was 2.24%. The rate of deformity among the relapsed patients was 30.9%. The overall incidence of deformity was 1.65 per 1000 person years. The duration of M. leprae detection in smears ranged between 2.38 and 7.67 years.
conclusionsLow relapse and deformity rates in leprosy RFT patients are indicative of treatment effectiveness. However, a higher proportion of detection of deformity among relapsed cases is a cause for concern. Periodic follow-up of RFT patients for up to 3 years to detect relapses early and ensure appropriate treatment will minimize the development of deformity among relapsed patients.
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