A Comparative study of eye affections in leprosy with multi drug therapy and mono therapy

BACKGROUND
Leprosy is one of the common neuro-paralytic disease in a developing country like India. It reduces functional integrity of the different parts of our body and subsequently as it reduces the sensation, so anatomical disfiguration follows. Having a complex neuronal supply, eye is also commonly affected in Leprosy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
In this study done in rural areas of West Bengal, after clinical and bacteriological diagnosis, leprosy patients were divided into two standard groups i.e. Multi-Bacillary (M.B.) Pauci-Bacillary (P.B.). After randomization by computer generated randomization technique, both the groups are divided into two sub-groups. One group receives Multi-Drug therapy and the other receives single drug therapy. After collection of data in follow up period, the data is compared and tabulated.

RESULTS
This study was done on 2317 adult Leprosy patients. Total Eye complications in M.B. cases were 30% and 10% in P.B. cases. Incidence of Eye complications in M.B. cases reduced to 4% within 3 months of the onset of M.D.T. The Morphological index which was in the range of 25-75% also reduced to 0 within 3 months of the onset of M.D.T. in 92% of cases. Monotherapy did not have any significant effect in reducing the incidence of Eye complications in M.B. cases. In P.B. cases both M.D.T. and Monotherapy were equally effective in reducing the incidence of eye complications. (2% and 3% respectively within 3 months of the onset of therapy).

CONCLUSION
Multidrug therapy is very much helpful in reducing the ophthalmologic complications in multi-bacillary cases though it has no such effect in pauci-bacillary cases.