Cytomorphology of leprosy across the Ridley-Jopling spectrum.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the possible role of cytology in classifying leprosy lesions on the Ridley-Jopling scale.

STUDY DESIGN: A double-blind, prospective study comparing cytologic assessment of 30 clinically diagnosed cases of leprosy with their histopathology. May-Grünwald-Giemsa and Ziehl-Neelsen stain were done on slit skin smears and fine needle aspiration material.

RESULTS: Cytologic subclassification was possible in 23 cases as tuberculoid leprosy (11), midborderline (3), borderline lepromatous (5) and lepromatous leprosy (4). These correlated with histologic subtypes.

CONCLUSION: May-Grünwald-Giemsa complements Ziehl-Neelsen stain, yielding information almost comparable to that from histologic examination of skin biopsies.