All issues > Volume 30(7); 1987

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1987;30(7):769-776. Published online July 31, 1987.

Clinico-Epidemiological Study on Leprosy Patients in Children.

Koo Jeoung Jung¹, Byoung Soo Cho¹, Sung Ho Cha¹, Sa Jun Chung¹, Chang Il Ahn¹, Do Seo Koo², Do Il Kim³

¹Department of Pediatrics ,school of Medicine. Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Preventive , School of Medicine. Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
³Institute for Leprosy Research Korean Leprosy Control Association

Abstract

Clinico-epidemiological study on 44 patients with leprosy in less than 20-year-old children visited to Institute for Leprosy Research, Korean Leprosy Control Association during past 9 years from January, 1978, to August, 1986 was carried out and the following results were obtained. 1) Age at time of visit was shown peak in the age group of 16-20 years (34 cases, 77%), but non in the age group of under 10 years. Age of onset was shown peak in the age group of 11-15 years (20cases, 51%), but none in the age group of under 5 years 2) 52% (23/44) of leprosy patients in children visited to our Institute had their family contact history. 3) While place of birth of leprocy patients was mainly distributed in Chon-Nam (10/40, 25%), Chung-Buk (8/40, 20%) and Kyeong-Buk (8/40, 20%), their present address was mostly situated at Seoul (16/43, 37.2%). 4) 61.3% of leprosy patients in children were multibacillary leprosy and 22.7% paucibacillary. 5) Clinical findings were revealed as skin lesions and nerve enlargement (20 cases, 45.5%), skin lesions only (13 cases, 29.5%) and nerve enlargement only (2 cases, 4.5%). It was clear that 75% of the leprosy cases in children diagnosed in the trial had skin lesions. 6) The lepromin test in 22 leprosy patients in children was consistent with result according to ieprosy type, but one borderline-tuberculoid leprosy patient was shown negative lepromin reaction and three lepromatous leprosy patients, weak positive in two cases and moderate positive in one case.

Keywords :Leprosy.