01747nas a2200205   4500000000100000008004100001260001600042653001200058653002600070100001400096700001500110700001600125700001700141700001900158700001400177700001400191245008200205520124000287022001401527       2014                            d  c2014 Jan 1410aleprosy10aLight-touch sensation1 aMarta S N1 aSgavioli C1 aSaraiva P P1 aCarvalho R S1 aNogueira M G A1 aMonti F C1 aVirmond M00aEvaluation of light-touch sensation in the buccal mucosa of leprosy patients.3 aOBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the light-touch sensation of the oral mucosa in leprosy patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 228 adults, 133 being leprosy patients and 95 normal controls. To assess light-touch sensation, the five-filament standard Semmes-Weinstein kit in eight regions of the oral mucosa was used. Chi-square test was used to verify the differences in responses between the studied groups.
RESULTS: Normal sensation was predominant in both groups, and diminished sensation was found also in the nonleprosy group. Normal controls showed diminished light-touch sensation in at least one point, which may be attributed to the definition of sensation normality. The chi-square test revealed no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.43171). Severe diminished sensation was detected only in the leprosy group.
CONCLUSION: It is concluded that altered light-touch sensation in the oral cavity may not be a common feature in leprosy.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Decreased or lost sensation in skin lesions is a paramount in leprosy diagnosis; however, clinicians must be aware that this seems not to be true in the oral mucosa in leprosy cases for diagnosis purpose.  a1436-3771