vitamin-b-12 and Leprosy

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Beriberi; Child; Cyanides; Environmental Exposure; Female; Foodborne Diseases; Humans; Jamaica; Lathyrism; Leprosy; Male; Manihot; Nervous System Diseases; Nigeria; Nutrition Disorders; Pregnancy; Racial Groups; Senegal; Syphilis; Tropical Medicine; Vitamin B 12

Hansen disease is an infectious chronic disease with various clinical manifestations. Its joint performance may easily mimic rheumatoid arthritis.. We report a case of a 57-year-old woman diagnosed with Hansen disease 10 years ago, who suffered from joints swelling, pain and joints deformities of both hands for 19 years. The skin on the hands showed rashes, thickening, desquamation and chapping, with both thenar muscles atrophy. She also had severe hypoalgesia of the whole body, and morning stiffness for one hour.. The final diagnosis was joint damage and peripheral neuropathy due to Hansen disease.. The patient received neurotrophic treatment instead of anti-rheumatic treatment.. At 1-year follow up, no further aggravation of joint swelling and pain was detected.. The correct diagnosis of Hansen disease involving joints depends on the combination of medical history, careful physical examination, and laboratory examination.

Topics: Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Joints; Leprosy; Middle Aged; Pain; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Skin; Thiamine; Vitamin B 12

The number of ex-leprosy patients has reduced rapidly who were forced to be admitted under leprosy prevention/segregation law and are staying at national sanatoriums with different disabilities due to different physical and social reasons for long time in Japan. Most of them have been of clinically cured status for decades after effective chemotherapy. Some have still been suffering from acute or chronic neuralgic pains which are supposed to be long standing consequences of nerve damage of leprosy and getting medications for long period. Pharmacy department of National Suruga Sanatorium has studied the amount of prescriptions of some medicines for last 11 years, which were thought to be prescribed for pain including neuralgic pain. There seem to be some tendencies of medications during last decade. VitaminB12 (Mecobalamine) is one of the commonest drugs for neuralgic pain at this sanatorium and the amount of prescription had almost been unchanged through the years. Prescription of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increased year by year, which may reflect the increasing age of ex-patients who need more pain killers for their painful joints or back. Loxoprofen is the most popular pain killer here and increased by ten times for last decade. The number of prescription for Pentazocine and Hydroxyzine Hydrochloride injection increased for last several years, which reflects a few patients who were still suffering from severe chronic neuralgia for years. It is desirable that a standard regimen for chronic neuralgic pain as a consequence of nerve impairment in leprosy will be developed as soon as possible.

Topics: Aged; Analgesics; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Chronic Disease; Drug Utilization; Female; Humans; Japan; Leper Colonies; Leprostatic Agents; Leprosy; Male; Neuralgia; Pentazocine; Phenylpropionates; Prescriptions; Time; Vitamin B 12

321 adult male lepromatous leprosy patients were studied for relationship between haematological findings, severity of disease and duration of treatment. Significant changes were noticed in relation in haemoglobin concentration, serum vitamin B12 and serum folate levels, serum albumin and globulin. No significant changes were observed in serum iron levels in relation to disease and treatment status. With rising bacterial load, there was a trend towards lower haemoglobin concentration, higher vitamin B12 level and lowered serum folate levels. Serum albumin showed a significant decline, while serum globulin showed a significant rise. The findings are discussed in relation to replacement of bone marrow by lepromatous tissue as well as possible interference in the metabolism of haematinics by M. leprae. The exact mechanism of neurlogical deficit in leprosy in relation to deficiency of vitamin B12 and folic acid need to be further elucidated.

Topics: Folic Acid; Hemoglobins; Humans; Iron; Leprosy; Male; Serum Albumin; Serum Globulins; Time Factors; Vitamin B 12

Haematological studies in 904 adult leprosy patients with different types of leprosy, in various stages of the disease and treatment are described. Haemoglobin, packed cell volume, serum albumin and serum iron are significantly lower among lepromatous leprosy patients as compared with non-lepromatous patients. The serum B12 levels were significantly higher among the lepromatous group. Acid fast bacilli have been demonstrated in skin smear negative leprosy patients with indeterminate and tuberculoid leprosy, suggesting occurrence of bacillaemia in these groups of patients.

Topics: Adult; Female; Hematocrit; Hemoglobins; Humans; Iron; Leprosy; Male; Serum Albumin; Vitamin B 12

Topics: Adult; Aged; Cobalt Radioisotopes; Female; Humans; Intestinal Absorption; Leprosy; Malabsorption Syndromes; Male; Middle Aged; Vitamin B 12

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Diabetic Neuropathies; Female; Humans; Leprosy; Male; Middle Aged; Pellagra; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Polyradiculopathy; Vitamin B 12

Topics: Aniline Compounds; Drug Synergism; Europe; Humans; Hyperbaric Oxygenation; Isoniazid; Leprosy; Phenazines; Sulfones; Thalidomide; Time Factors; Tropical Climate; United States; Vitamin B 12; Vitamin B Complex

Topics: Corrinoids; Humans; Leprosy; Pain; Vitamin B 12; Vitamin B Complex

Topics: Corrinoids; Hematinics; Humans; Leprosy; Vitamin B 12