Delay in diagnosis as a prognostic factor for disability in patients with leprosy in Paraguay. Case and control study.

BACKGROUND: Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease, is one of the major causes of preventable disability. Early treatment prevents neurological damage and disability.

AIM: To identify prognostic factors of disability in individuals with multibacillary and paucibacillary leprosy who completed a drug treatment between 2011 and 2017 in Paraguay.

METHODS: A case-control study was carried out on 34 patients, of them 9 were cases and 25 controls. Cases were those patients with Grade 1, presented lack of sensation in lower or upper limbs, and those of Grade 2 lagophthalmos, rigidity, visible deformity ulcerations, passive claw, active claw. Controls had no disabilities.

RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 53 ± 15.2 years, 55.9% were male, and 58.9% had primary education or no formal education. Multibacillary leprosy was found in 58.8% of patients; and 64.7% were diagnosed after consulting with two or more physicians. Diagnosis delay of more than one year was significantly (p = 0.047) greater in the cases than in the controls (77.8% vs 12%; OR: 7.44; 95% CI: 1.02-67.86).

CONCLUSION: In this study, a diagnosis delay of more than one year is a prognostic factor for disability.