01346nas a2200217   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002800055653003500083653001100118653001200129653002500141653000900166100001700175700001500192245007500207300000900282490000700291520081600298022001401114       1979                            d  c1979 Mar10aDiagnosis, Differential10aFluorescent Antibody Technique10aHumans10aleprosy10aMycobacterium leprae10aSkin1 aJariwala H J1 aKelkar S S00aFluorescence microscopy for detection of M. leprae in tissue sections.  a33-60 v473 a<p>The fluorescence method was compared with the Fite-Faraco method for detecting acid-fast microorganisms in paraffin sections of cases of leprosy. Biopsies were obtained from 50 cases of leprosy covering all varieties and at varying stages of treatment. The fluorescence method was better than the Fite-Faraco method; 22 biopsies showing acid-fast organisms in fluorescence microscopy and 20 in the Fite-Faraco method. Its superiority was evidenced in two cases in which the organisms were very scanty. Fluorescence microscopy can also be used to determine the Bacterial Index and the Morphologic Index of organisms. The Morphologic Index, however, was one and a half times higher than that obtained by the Fite-Faraco technic. The ease and speed of fluorescence microscopy appear to be a great advantage.</p>  a0148-916X