Int J Curr Pharm Res, Vol 17, Issue 4, 127-128Short Communication

RADIOLOGICAL BONE CHANGES IN HANSEN’S DISEASE WITH DISABILITIES/DEFORMITIES OF HANDS AND FEET: A CLINICO-RADIOLOGICAL CORRELATION

RAGHVENDRA SADH1*, ASHISH DUBEY2, VISHNU PAL3

1People’s College of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bhopal (M. P.) India. 2Orthopaedic Surgeon, Peetambara Hospital, 29 Nehru Colony, Gwalior, (M. P.) India. 3People’s College of Medical Science and Research Centre, Bhopal (M. P.) India
*Corresponding author: Raghvendra Sadh; *Email: r_sadh@rediffmail.com

Received: 10 Apr 2025, Revised and Accepted: 11 Jun 2025

ABSTRACT

Objective: To study radiological bone changes in patients of Hansen's disease with deformities of hands and feet and correlate findings with clinical parameters.

Methods: Fifty leprosy patients underwent physical and radiological examination. Disability and deformities were graded as per WHO recommendations. Disability Index (DI) was calculated using.

Bone changes were categorized as specific, non-specific, and osteoporotic. Data were correlated with clinical variables.

Results: Radiological bone changes were present in 88% of cases. Specific changes were seen in 34% (e. g., subarticular erosion), non-specific in 82% (e. g., terminal phalanx absorption), and osteoporotic changes in 34% (mainly minimal osteoporosis). Significant correlation was found between non-specific and osteoporotic changes with increasing duration of disease, deformity, and DI.

Conclusion: Radiological bone changes are prevalent in Hansen’s disease, especially in patients with longer disease duration and higher DI. Specific changes showed no significant correlation with clinical variables, while non-specific and osteoporotic changes correlated with disease progression and disability.

Keywords: Disability index, Deformity, Radiological changes, Osteoporosis, Hansen disease

© 2025 The Authors. Published by Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.22159/ijcpr.2025v17i4.6070 Journal homepage: https://innovareacademics.in/journals/index.php/ijcpr

INTRODUCTION

Hansen's disease causes significant deformities of the hands and feet due to Mycobacterium leprae's effect on cooler body tissues. Bone involvement, particularly in long-standing or untreated cases, leads to specific (granulomatous), non-specific (disuse, infection), and osteoporotic changes Understanding these changes is crucial for managing disability [1-6].

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Prospective study conducted at GMC Bhopal on 50 patients from Jan 2001 to Apr 2002. Classification of disease was per Ridley-Jopling scale and WHO guidelines. Radiographs (AP and lateral views) of hands and feet were analyzed. Bone changes were categorized and correlated with clinical parameters. DI was calculated [7].

RESULTS

Radiological findings

Tables were reduced and compiled into 5 key summary tables (available upon request).

DISCUSSION

Bone involvement in Hansen’s disease is significant, with non-specific changes being most prevalent. This aligns with studies by Thappa et al. [8], Chhabriya et al. [9], and Choudhuri et al. [10]. The frequency of radiological changes increases with age and DI. Recent findings by Sharma et al. (2012) and Kumar et al. (2016) also affirm that longer disease duration correlates with irreversible bone changes and higher disability.

Advanced osteoporosis was more common in feet, possibly due to weight-bearing stress and delayed treatment. Minimal osteoporosis in hands may reflect disuse atrophy. Similar observations were reported by Basu (1972) [11] and updated by Verma et al. (2018) [12].

CONCLUSION

Most patients with Hansen's disease showed radiological bone changes, predominantly non-specific and osteoporotic types. Specific bone changes had no significant correlation with clinical parameters. Non-specific and osteoporotic changes showed significant correlation with longer disease duration and higher disability index. Early diagnosis and management are vital to prevent progression.

FUNDING

This research received no external funding.

AUTHORS CONTRIBUTIONS

Dr. Raghvendra Sadh and Dr. Ashish Dubey led clinical design and analysis. Dr. Vishnu Pal contributed histological/anatomical input and manuscript preparation.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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