Histopathological study of leprosy along with Clinicopathological correlation at a tertiary care center

Background: Leprosy is a chronic disease, which remains a major public health problem in developing countries. The clinical presentation of various types of leprosy is overlapping. Histopathology remains the gold standard in the diagnosis of leprosy. Hence Clinicopathological correlation is important for the early diagnosis, classification, and treatment.Material and Methods: Two-year retrospective study was conducted in the department of pathology, KBNIMS, Kalaburagi. The study was carried on the skin biopsy specimen of clinically diagnosed leprosy cases.Results: A total of 36 cases were included in the study, which showed a male: female ratio of 2:1. The majority of the cases were in the 3rd decade. The most common clinical symptom was hypopigmented anaesthetic plaque and the most common subtype of leprosy was found to be lepromatous leprosy. Majority of the cases were multibacillary and tuberculoid leprosy showed maximum correlation. Conclusion: Clinicopathological correlation is pivotal in the accurate diagnosis of leprosy to prevent, treat, and eradicate the disease