@article{30971,
  keywords = {leprosy, Relapse, Post-elimination, Borderline tuberculoid, India},
  author = {Nair PP and Mathew R},
  title = {Relapse in leprosy in post-elimination phase: Scenario from a tertiary care center in South India.},
  abstract = {<p>The primary aim of this study was to study the relapse rate in the post-elimination phase of leprosy and the secondary aim to study the clinical features of the relapsed cases in a Tertiary Care Centre in Thiruvanthapuram, South India. This was a 10 year retrospective study of relapsed cases of leprosy in the post-elimination phase. There were 39 cases of relapse in the 10 year (2006-2015) study period, with a relapse rate of 10.03%. Out of 39 relapses, 8 were PB cases and31 were MB cases. There were 33 males (84.61%) and 6 females (15.39%) with a male/female ratio of 5.5:1. The mean age was 46.82 years and age group 41-50 constituted the maximum number of cases 11 (28.21%). Borderline tuberculoid (BT) was the commonest initial type of leprosy to relapse, 17 cases (43.58%), while the commonest type in the relapsed state was also BT, 18 cases (46.15%). BT relapsing as BT was the commonest type, 13 cases (33.33%). Relapse was more common in smear positive cases, 21 (53.85%), compared to smear negative cases, 18 (46.15%). Twelve (12/21, 57.14%) relapses in smear positive cases (BI 4+) were in those who were treated with FDT for one year. This study shows a high prevalence of relapse cases in the post-elimination phase in cases treated in a tertiary care settings which indicates the need of in-depth studies to find out determinants such as subsets of cases at higher risk of getting relapse and duration of treatment in such cases as well as long term steroids.</p>
},
  year = {2017},
  journal = {Indian journal of leprosy},
  volume = {89},
  pages = {119-125},
  url = {http://www.ijl.org.in/2017/1%20S%20Pradeep%20Nair%20(119-125).pdf},
  language = {eng},
}