Childhood leprosy in Buenos Aires: four cases report.

Abstract

Childhood leprosy, which affects children up to 14 years old, is characterized by a delay in diagnosis since it is usually confused with other dermatoses. Its presence in a child is a relevant epidemiological indicator since it signals active disease transmission. We present 4 patients between 5 and 14 years old who attended a public hospital in Buenos Aires -two patients with borderline tuberculoid leprosy, one with lepromatous leprosy, and one with indeterminate leprosy.The World Health Organization provides therapy for people between 10 and 14 but does not consider children under 10. This difficulty implies adapting the dosage and pharmaceutical form to each patient under this age. Finally, it should be noted that the diagnosis of the patients led to the diagnosis and treatment of the disease in adult cohabitants.