Leprosy relapse in Dakar : study of 34 cases

Abstract

Introduction
Objective: We aim to determine the epidemiological, clinical and bacteriological characteristics of leprosy relapse in Dakar.
Designs: We conducted a retrospective descriptive study between January 2007 and January 2018 at the Hospital Centre of "Ordre de Malte de Dakar" (CHOM), the reference centre for leprosy in Senegal.
Results : We collected 34 cases of leprosy relapse during 11 years, representing 7.3% (34/463) of leprosy cases notified in the centre during the same period. Men were more likely to relapse than women (sex ratio 1.6). The age group 20-45 years was the most common. Most cases of relapse (n=17) occurred within 5 years after the end of initial leprosy treatment. The circumstances of relapse were mainly long-term corticosteroid therapy (n=11) and leprosy exposure (n=10). Lepromatous leprosy was the most common form of relapse (n=13), followed by tuberculoid borderline leprosy (n=10). Most patients had relapsed in the initial clinical form of leprosy (18 out of 14 cases). Bacilloscopy, which was performed in 30 patients, was positive in 24 (80%).
Conclusion : Leprosy relapse is still a problem in our regions, which should encourage practitioners to ensure regular follow-up of patients after completion of anti-leprosy treatment.