01825nas a2200349   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653000900080653001100089653001100100653001100111653001200122653002500134653000900159653001600168653003000184653001800214100001700232700001400249700001400263700001400277700001800291700001200309700001200321245006600333300001100399490000700410520104400417022001401461       2005                            d  c2005 Apr10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aBiopsy10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aLeprosy, Tuberculoid10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aPeripheral Nervous System10aSkin Diseases1 aMenicucci LA1 aMiranda A1 aAntunes S1 aJardim MR1 aCosta Nery JA1 aSales A1 aSarno E00aMicroscopic leprosy skin lesions in primary neuritic leprosy.  a648-520 v523 a<p>The histologic diagnosis of primary neuritic leprosy (PNL) remains a public health care concern, especially when nerve biopsies cannot be performed. As such, some authors emphasize the importance of performing a skin biopsy of a hypoesthetic area even without clinically visible lesions. In this study, an attempt was made to define the histologic changes in the sensory altered skin of 42 clinically diagnosed PNL patients. Histologic alterations caused by leprosy were seen in 31% of these patients: 6 were classified as borderline tuberculoid and 7 as indeterminate. In addition, 33% showed mild, non-specific, mononuclear cell infiltrates around the blood vessels within the papillary and reticular dermis that probably reflected an early inflammatory reaction to Mycobacterium leprae infection. Only 36% of those biopsied had no significant lesions. Our results suggested that, while not all PNL patients are similar, histologic skin examination can contribute to early leprosy detection and commencement of adequate treatment.</p>  a1097-6787