Epidemiological profile of leprosy at the Hôpital de la Rive, City province of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Background

Leprosy, a neglected tropical disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, remains a public health issue in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The need for updated information on this dermatological condition motivated the present study, which aims to reassess its epidemioclinical profile and complications in the city-province of Kinshasa.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of leprosy cases at Hôpital de la Rive in Kinshasa, a center formerly recognized for leprosy management, over a 9-year period. The data of interest included sociodemographic, clinical, and paraclinical variables. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software, applying measures of central tendency, dispersion, and frequency analyses.

Results

The results showed a variable distribution of leprosy cases, with higher frequencies observed in 2018 and 2017. The majority of patients were male, with a mean age of 43.03 ± 16 years. Multibacillary cases were more frequent than paucibacillary cases (98.3% vs. 1.7%). Clinical diagnosis was the primary method used, with a low proportion of cases confirmed by biological tests. Complications were present in a minority of patients.

Conclusion

Leprosy primarily affects married men, with multibacillary forms predominantly diagnosed clinically. Despite the extent of skin lesions, complications were generally uncommon.