Korean J Dermatol.
1960 Jan;1(1):19-30.
Clinical Survey on Leprosy patients
Abstract
- The clinical and histopathological studies were carried out on 120 leprosy patients who visited the Department of Dermatology, Medical School Hospital, Kyungpook University during the period from October, 1957 to April, 1953. The results obtained were as follows; (1) By their clinical menifestations, patients were classified as follows: 39 out of 120 patients (32.5%) were suffering from Lepromatous leprosy, 43(35.3%) were found to be Tuberculoid, 7 were found to be Neural leprosy, 27(22.5%) to be Indeterminste and 4 were Borderline group. Virtually all of them were mild, early cases of leprosy. (2) Quite rarely, patients signs were resognized by others, and ill patients recognized their signs as leprosy by themselves. (3) Here in Korea, the leprosy is commonly called "Pung" which is included all types of leprosy, "Mamok" usually mems macules and "San-Hu-Pung" is a current name for Lepromatous leprosy of puerperal women. (4) 73 patients(60.8%) were found to have visited the hospital from the beginning and 38 patients consulted at onset so-called "Han-j" or a herb doctor. (5) Age of onset varied with the different typpes of leprosy and the sex of patients. (6) The site of initial lesion also varied with the leprosy type, but usually both upper and lower extremities were most frequently involved (40% resperctively), and face was vulnerable site next to both limbs. (7) As to its contributory factors, played as a factor in 1) cases of then, and in 17 cases, the direct, prolonged contact with the leprosy patients were found to be one of the contributory factors, and 13 women became leprous within 3 months after delivery. (8) D.D.S. was found effective in 77 cases (84.2%) and in 10 cases the results were excellent; on the contrary, 9 cases showed aggravatio after the administration. (9) The accuracy of clinical diagnosis as compared with the histopathologic diagnosis is as follows: Lepromatous leprosy 94.8%. Tuberculoid leprosy 65.1%, Indeterminate group 92.5% and Borderline group 100%
