01780nas a2200313   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653001500059653002600074653002300100653001100123653001100134653001200145653000900157653003900166653001400205653002600219653001700245653003000262100001600292700001600308700002000324700001900344245008600363300001000449490000700459520098600466022001401452       2010                            d  c2010 Jan-Feb10aAdolescent10aDisability Evaluation10aEducational Status10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aPeripheral Nervous System Diseases10aPrognosis10aRetrospective Studies10aRisk Factors10aSeverity of Illness Index1 aMoschioni C1 aAntunes CMF1 aFaria Grossi MA1 aLambertucci JR00aRisk factors for physical disability at diagnosis of 19,283 new cases of leprosy.  a19-220 v433 a<p><b>INTRODUCTION: </b>The purpose of this study was to evaluate risk factors for physical disability at the moment of leprosy diagnosis.</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>This is a retrospective, descriptive and exploratory investigation of 19,283 patients with leprosy, registered in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, between 2000 and 2005.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>The risk of Grade 2 disability was 16.5-fold higher in patients with lepromatous leprosy, and 12.8-fold higher in patients presenting the borderline form, compared to patients presenting indeterminate leprosy. The occurrence of more than one thickened nerve increased the odds of a patient developing Grade 2 disability, 8.4-fold. Age <15 years, multibacillary leprosy and no formal education presented 7.0, 5.7 and 5.6 odds of developing physical disability, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>These factors should be considered as strong prognostic indicators in the development of physical disability at diagnosis.</p>  a1678-9849