Perfil epidemiológico e manifestações dermatoneurológicas e musculoesqueléticas em crianças e adolescentes com hanseníase em Balsas - MA

Abstract

This work sought to identify the epidemiological profile and the main dermatoneurological and musculoskeletal manifestations caused by leprosy in children and adolescents in Balsas - MA, with the following objectives: to present the epidemiological profile of children under 15 years of age, to analyze the dermatoneurological and musculoskeletal manifestations present in this including the degree of physical disability; and to describe the main manifestations and clinical form of leprosy present in these children and adolescents. It is a descriptive, exploratory, documentary research, with a quantitative approach. The medical records and retroactive notification forms of cases of leprosy in children under 15 years old who were reported in the Information System for Notification of Diseases from 2016 to 2020 were used as data sources. The data were organized and processed Statistical Package for the Social Sciences later, consolidated through descriptive statistics techniques and for the evaluation of epidemiological indicators, the parameters recommended by the Ministry of Health were used. The municipality presented a hyperendemic parameter in the analyzed period. The vast majority of cases were male, brown, aged between 10 years and 14 years, 11 months and 29 days and were not evenly distributed among the city's neighborhoods. There was a predominance of borderline multibacillary, smear positive, and the vast majority were new cases, living with an active patient, were also detected, mainly by referral and spontaneous demand, demonstrating late diagnosis and passivity in the active search. The year 2016 was the year with the most diagnosis of leprosy and 2020 had the lowest percentage of detection of new cases, supposedly due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As for the lesions, most of the cases had multiple lesions (more than five), usually located on the back, arms and legs, 1/5 portrayed neural involvement, mainly of the ulnar nerve, and there was a degree of physical disability grade I and II recorded. . As for discharge, there was a high cure rate and its proportion rate was satisfactory. In view of the exposed data, it is suggested the implementation of measures that guarantee improvements in public health services, especially primary care, with the intensification of actions.