02075nas a2200349   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653000900080653002200089653001100111653001100122653001100133653001200144653000900156653001600165653001900181653001700200653002500217100001500242700002300257700001700280700002100297700001700318700002200335245008700357300001100444490000800455520124800463022001401711       2007                            d  c2007 May10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aAged, 80 and over10aBiopsy10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aMouth Diseases10aMouth Mucosa10aMycobacterium leprae1 aAbreu MAMM1 aAvelar Alchorne MM1 aMichalany NS1 aMaurice Weckx LL1 aPimentel DRN1 aWatashi Hirata CH00aThe oral mucosa in paucibacillary leprosy: a clinical and histopathological study.  ae48-520 v1033 a<p><b>BACKGROUND: </b>Involvement of the oral mucosa can occur in lepromatous leprosy; however, lesions in the oral mucosa of paucibacillary patients have not been previously observed.</p><p><b>OBJECTIVE: </b>The objective of this study is to determine whether clinical and subclinical lesions exist in oral mucosa in nontreated paucibacillary leprosy patients, using clinical and histopathological examination.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS: </b>A clinical and histopathological study involving 30 untreated paucibacillary leprosy patients was conducted. All patients underwent biopsies of the buccal mucosa, soft palate, and tongue. When acid-fast bacilli in association with inflammatory infiltrate, granulomatous or not, were encountered, it was considered "specific" involvement of the oral mucosa; and "nonspecific" involvement when the bacilli were not encountered.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>Eight nonspecific chronic inflammatory reactions and 1 granulomatous inflammatory process without acid-fast bacilli were detected.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>Paucibacillary leprosy patients do not exhibit specific, clinical or subclinical, involvement in the oral mucosa; nonspecific alterations occur even in the absence of signs and symptoms.</p>  a1528-395X