@article{11349,
  keywords = {Biopsy, Female, Humans, leprosy, Malawi, Male, Mass Screening, Skin},
  author = {McDougall A C and Ponnighaus J M and Fine PE},
  title = {Histopathological examination of skin biopsies from an epidemiological study of leprosy in northern Malawi.},
  abstract = {<p>This report describes the histopathological findings in 686 biopsies obtained from 664 individuals during the course of a total population survey for leprosy in Northern Malawi. The criteria for the selection of cases for biopsy, the biopsy technique using a 4-mm punch, fixation method, transport of biopsies from Africa to the United Kingdom, and the method of coding histopathological results are described. Fifty-two percent (354) of the biopsies showed definite evidence of leprosy on histopathological examination. Using the Ridley-Jopling system, these biopsies were classified as follows: TT = 60 (17%); TT/BT = 68 (19%); BT = 194 (55%); BT/BB = 4 (1%); BB = 4 (1%); BB/BL = 4 (1%); BL = 7 (2%); BL/LL = 3 (1%); LL = 6 (2%). In addition, four (1%) biopsies were classified as "indeterminate" on histology, meaning that although there was evidence of leprosy it was not possible to provide a precise classification. A further 117 biopsies (17% of the total) had abnormal changes, often including epithelioid cell granulomas, possibly caused by leprosy but lacking specific criteria for that diagnosis. Finally, 203 (30%) of the biopsies had nonspecific (often minimal) changes, and 11 (2%) of the total showed evidence of some dermatological condition other than leprosy. Histopathological examination of biopsies in this study confirmed the clinical classification in 98% of the cases in which the histopathologist found evidence of leprosy, and supplied further evidence for the very high proportion of paucibacillary cases in this part of the world.</p>},
  year = {1987},
  journal = {International journal of leprosy and other mycobacterial diseases : official organ of the International Leprosy Association},
  volume = {55},
  pages = {88-98},
  month = {1987 Mar},
  issn = {0148-916X},
  url = {http://ila.ilsl.br/pdfs/v55n1a13.pdf},
  language = {eng},
}