01757nas a2200193   4500000000100000008004100001653001200042653002800054653002600082653000500108100001500113700001000128700002100138245006500159856014500224300001200369490000700381520117500388       2011                            d10aleprosy10aBacteriological disease10aImmunological disease10a1 aMargoles L1 aRio C1 aFranco-Paredes C00aLeprosy: a modern assessment of an ancient neglected disease  uhttp://www.nietoeditores.com.mx/download/bol_med_HIM/MARZO-ABRIL%202011/BOL%20Med%20Hosp%20espa%C3%B1ol/Bol%20Med%20Hosp%202.9%20LEPROSY.pdf  a120-1260 v683 aLeprosy or Hansen’s disease is a chronic mycobacterial infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae and affects mainly peripheral
nerves and skin as well as upper respiratory mucosae. This infection is a conjoined bacteriological and immunological disease. Target cells
of infection are macrophages, histiocytes in the skin, and the nonmyelinating and myelinating Schwann cells in the peripheral nerves leading
to axonal dysfunction and demyelination leading to functional impairment and deformity. Leprosy reactions represent the most important
determinant of nerve impairment if untreated and unrecognized. Control of leprosy transmission remains a challenge despite substantial
improvements through the use of multidrug therapy in many settings. Most importantly, although many patients have been microbiologically
cured through the efforts of the World Health Organization, many are left with significant disability that has recently been estimated to be
~20% of those treated (~15 million individuals) in the last decades. Further efforts are needed to elucidate the epidemiology and risk factors
for disability among those with multibacillary forms.