A ten-year historic study of paranasal cavity endoscopy in patients with leprosy

Leprosy is an infectious condition that has a chronic evolution caused by the Mycobacterium leprae. It very often attacks the nasal cavities mucosa independent of its clinical form, even before skin lesions or lesions to other parts of the body arise, in the presence or not of clinical complaints. Aim: To show the efficiency of nasal endoscopy to identify endonasal mucosa lesions and the importance of the Otorhinolaryngologist in the diagnosis and follow-up of Leprosy patients. Study Design: Clinical history study. Material and Method: a historic study was performed with 173 patient’s records without previous treatment from 1990 to 2000 at the Otorhinolaryngology Services, Instituto de Pesquisas Clinicas Hospital Evandro Chagas, Fiocruz. Results: All of the patients showed nasal lesions, 121 with and 52 without clinical complaints. Discussion: Nasal cavities endoscopy exam enabled early identification of the mucosa alteration in Leprosy patients as well as how to identify the evolution of the lesions. This type of exam also helps to establish local treatment. Conclusion: The evaluation and follow-up of Leprosy patients by the Otorhinolaryngologist in a multidisciplinary team are justified and offer the patient early diagnosis and specific treatment.