Demyelination in newly-diagnosed leprosy neuropathy

Abstract

Neural damage caused by leprosy commonly presents itself as easily recognizable and treatable acute neuritis, which may occur at any time during the course of the disease.1 However, some leprosy patients present what is known as “silent neuritis”, which, due to a paucity of overt symptoms, often remains unnoticed until extensive nerve damage has taken place, particularly in the multi-bacillary (MB) leprosy forms.1–5