Ulnar Nerve Decompression in Neural Form of Leprosy in Childhood

Leprosy is a disease that potentially affects adults with a long latency period of 3 to 5 years. However,

children are prone to acquire the disease especially in places of high prevalence and poor epidemiologic

control. The surgical decompression is an ancillary method of treatment, although recent investigations

call attention for the similarity of results of conservative management. The objective of this study, then,

was to call attention for surgical indication in leprosy patients with ulnar impairment soon after failure

of conservative management. The authors describe and analyze a case of an outpatient operated child

with ulnar nerve involvement by leprosy after 1 year of clinical treatment and failure. The predominant

symptoms were pain and physical deformity. There was a great improvement following the surgery even

after delayed operation. The surgical intervention is sometimes necessary to avoid deformities although

more randomized series must confi rm the superiority of surgery in relation to clinical management in

some cases.