Surgical Treatment of Paraffinomas in Patients with Leprosy

Jeong, Young In; Choi, Kwang Hyun; Jue, Mihn Sook; Ahn, Sung Yul; Park, Hyang Joon

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Ulnar nerve palsy leads to thumb-web depression, hypothenar flattening, and inter-digital depression in patients with leprosy. To camouflage these deformities, patients used to inject paraffin or silicone oil into the areas of muscle atrophy associated with thumb-web depression and hypothenar flattening. After several years and decades, paraffinomas eventually resulted in extensive inflammatory fibrosis and recalcitrant recurrent ulcers at the injection sites.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to compare the results of different surgical treatments for paraffinomas in patients with leprosy, and to find out the most effective treatment method that has a low recurrence rate.
METHODS
Between January 2000 and December 2012, 47 patients with paraffinomas who had visited the Korean Hansen Welfare Association Hospital were enrolled to participate in the study. The number of paraffinomas was 56, and the mean age of the patients was 73 years. A retrospective evaluation of the cosmetic results and recurrence rate was performed.
RESULTS
Of the 56 surgically treated paraffinomas, 30 lesions were treated using primary closure, 20 lesions were treated with skin graft, and 6 lesions were treated with skin flap. The cosmetic outcomes, which were assessed using a four-point grading scale, were excellent in 10.7% (6/56), good in 25% (14/56), fair in 38% (21/56), and poor in 28% (15/56) of the patients. There were no significant differences among the three surgical procedures with respect to the cosmetic results. The recurrence rate was 33% (10/31) in the primary closure group, 50% (10/20) in the skin graft group, and 17% (1/6) in the skin flap group. There were no significant differences in the recurrence rate among the three surgical procedures.
CONCLUSION
The extensive and aggressive curettage of lesions is very important to reduce recurrence rate. When the older age of the patients is considered in conjunction with the simplicity of the operation and the total operation time, primary closure is considered the treatment of choice both cosmetically and practically.