02194nas a2200217 4500000000100000008004100001653002000042653001200062653003600074653001500110100001300125700001400138700001100152700001600163700001400179245012700193856005100320300001400371490000700385520158400392 2017 d10aQuality of Life10aleprosy10aErythema nodosum leprosum (ENL)10aBangladesh1 aBowers B1 aButlin CR1 aAlam K1 aLockwood DN1 aWalker SL00aHealth-related quality of life amongst people affected by erythema nodosum leprosum in Bangladesh: a cross sectional study uhttps://leprosyreview.org/article/88/4/48-8498 a488–4980 v883 a

Erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) is a multisystem reaction which affects some people with multibacillary (MB) leprosy, but more specifically those with BL or LL type leprosy. The symptoms of ENL can lead to long term physical, social and economic losses, although very little is known about the effect ofENLon quality of life. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in northwest Bangladesh. A Bengali version of the RAND 36-Item Health Survey 1·0 (SF-36) was administered to people under treatment for ENL (n ¼ 29) and controls affected by MB leprosy (n ¼ 46) matched for: sex, treatment status, age, Disability grade at diagnosis, education level and housing type. Chi Square and Wilcoxon RST were used to analyse the data using the R statistical package. Results: Patients with ENL had significantly (P , ·001) worse Health Related Quality of life (HRQoL) scores on all eight SF-36 health concepts: physical functioning, pain, role limitations due to physical and emotional limitations, emotional well-being, social functioning, energy/fatigue, and general health perceptions. Cohen’s d indicated a large effect (d ¼ ·96 to 1·67). The results are compared with results of other published works which examined similar populations Conclusion: HRQoL is significantly impaired in Bangladeshi people suffering from ENL compared with people with MB leprosy and no ENL. ENL affects all areas of a person’s HRQoL measured by the SF-36. Health care providers need to spend time addressing other aspects of a person’s life and not just the physical symptoms.