Korean Lepr Bull.  2021 Dec;54(1):.

A Six-year Experience of Surgical Treatment of Paraffinomas

• Park HJ
• Kim JP
• Ahn SY

Abstract

Background
: Many patients with Hansen’s disease injected paraffin into the hands to camouflage hand deformities resulting from ulnar nerve damage. Eventually paraffinomas formed, leading to severe inflammation and ulceration which needs surgical intervention.
Objective
: To evaluate the results of one surgical method, curettage and primary closure, in surgical treatment of hand paraffinomas in patients with Hansen’s disease.
Methods
: Thirty-eight patients with 42 paraffinomas were received debridement(curettage) with primary closure at the hospital of Korean Hansen Welfare Association from 2016 to 2021. We analyzed retrospectively the final results of the method in aspect of complication, recurrence and cosmeosis for the past 6 years. Recurrence was defined the reappearance of inflammation during the follow-up. Cosmeosis was classified into 4 grades, excellent, good, fair, and poor.
Results
: Of 38 patients, the ratio of male and female was 23 : 15 and the mean age of the patients was 82 years. The location of the lesions was the hands in all patients. Postoperative complications were observed in 13 cases (31%) in which reoperation was done in 3 cases. The recurrence rate was 7% (3/42). Cosmeosis was above fair in most cases (81%, 34/42).
Conclusion
: An aggressive and thorough curettage and primary closure was confirmed to be a very effective surgical modality for hand paraffinomas empirically.

Keyword

Curettage; Paraffinoma; Primary closure