Context: Pure neuritic leprosy is a risk factor for grade 2 disability owing to the early nerve damage.
Aims: To study the clinical patterns of neuritic leprosy, to determine the percentage of patients manifesting grade 2 disability at the time of diagnosis and to identify any risk factors for the same.
Settings and design: Retrospective descriptive study from previous case records of pure neuritic leprosy patients who attended a tertiary centre from 1st July 2007 to 30th June 2017.
Subjects and methods: Data on patients who satisfied the World Health Organization (WHO) cardinal criteria for diagnosis of leprosy, who had no skin lesion of leprosy and had acid-fast bacilli negative status on skin smears were collected using a pre-set proforma.
Statistical analysis used: The Chi-square test was used to assess statistical significance and logistic regression model was applied to avoid the effects of confounding factors.
Results: A diagnostic delay of >1 year was observed in 44% patients. At the time of diagnosis, grade 2 disability was documented in 60 (80%) of patients. No statistically significant risk factor was identified for grade 2 disability.
Limitations: Retrospective nature and the study conducted in a tertiary care centre not reflecting the status in the community were the limitations.
Conclusions: Grade 2 disability noted in 80% of patients points to the inherent nature of disease to cause early nerve damage. Diagnostic delay of >1 year documented in 44% of patients underscores the diagnostic challenges in the absence of skin lesions.
Keywords: Grade 2 disability; neuritic leprosy; risk factor.