The oral cavity in leprosy: what clinicians need to know

Author(s)

Rodrigues, G. A. ; Qualio, N. P. ; de Macedo, L. D. ; Innocentini, L. M. A. R. ; Ribeiro-Silva, A. ; Foss, N. T. ; Frade, M. A. C. ; Motta, A. C. F.

• Document type: Review article
• Source: ORAL DISEASES; v. 23, n. 6, p. 749-756, SEP 2017.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, a bacillus that has a tropism for skin and peripheral nerves. Leprosy treatment is based on a multidrug therapy established by the World Health Organization in 1982 and, despite its widespread use, Brazil ranks second worldwide in numbers of cases. Oral involvement in leprosy has been poorly described in the literature, and few studies have shown that although the bacillus is found in mucosa, specific leprosy lesions are rare and affect patients with advanced stages of the disease. This review aimed to assess the literature on oral manifestations in leprosy and the aspects involving oral cavity in leprosy pathogenesis. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/18235-9 - Influence of detection and elimination of oral infection focus on the reactional episodes development in Leprosy patients: three years of follow-up
• Grantee: Régis Rafael da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• FAPESP's process: 10/20503-9 - Detection of the antibody anti-PGL-1 in the saliva of leprosy patients as an exposition parameter to Mycobacterium leprae and diasease activity.
• Grantee: Leandro Issao Takeuchi
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• FAPESP's process: 14/16732-3 - A comparative immunohistochemical study of the inflammatory reaction in specific oral and cutaneous lesions of Leprosy
• Grantee: Giovani Antonio Rodrigues
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation