The oral mucosa in paucibacillary leprosy: a clinical and histopathological study.

BACKGROUND: Involvement of the oral mucosa can occur in lepromatous leprosy; however, lesions in the oral mucosa of paucibacillary patients have not been previously observed.

OBJECTIVE: 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.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 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.

RESULTS: Eight nonspecific chronic inflammatory reactions and 1 granulomatous inflammatory process without acid-fast bacilli were detected.

CONCLUSIONS: 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.