01656nas a2200193   4500000000100000008004100001260003400042653001200076653001700088653002200105653002400127100001800151700001200169700001200181700001200193245010600205520112600311022002501437       2025                            d  bOxford University Press (OUP)10aLeprosy10aEpidemiology10aDelayed Diagnosis10aIntegrated approach1 aCole-Adeife O1 aDairo G1 aAgaga L1 aAjose F00aDemographic and clinical profile of leprosy patients in Lagos, Nigeria: a 17-year retrospective study3 a<p>Nigeria continues to report over 2000 new leprosy cases annually. This retrospective study reviewed leprosy case records from 2006 to 2023 at a Teaching hospital (TH) and a Leprosy Treatment Referral Centre (LTRC) in Lagos, Nigeria. Demographic, clinical, and treatment data were analysed and challenges highlighted. At the TH, 96 leprosy patients (mean age 37.3 years; 63.5% male) were seen, and 75% had multibacillary disease. At the LTRC, 354 patients (mean age 42.5 years; 65% male) were seen, and 98.6% had multibacillary disease. Late presentation was common in both centres. Most patients received multi-drug therapy (MDT) at the LTRC, but 52 patients (19 from the TH; 33 from the LTRC) defaulted from care. Between 2017 and 2023, 25% of patients (including 2.1% aged &amp;lt;15 years) presented with Grade 2 disability. Leprosy cases have declined in Lagos, but delayed presentation, inadequate frontline diagnostic capacity and weak surveillance systems contribute to sustained morbidity. Strengthening health worker knowledge and surveillance in an integrated approach is essential for leprosy control.</p>
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