[Leprosy in Lome, Togo: retrospective study of 383 cases]

The goal of this study was to determine the therapeutic outcomes and clinical forms of leprosy diagnosed in Lomé, Togo. This retrospective study was carried out in leprosy patients managed at the National Center of Dermatology in Lomé between January 1990 and December 2005. During the study period, 383 cases of leprosy were recorded including 366 new cases. The annual diagnosis rate was 23 cases per year. Mean patient age was 35.6 +/- 15.4 years. The proportion of patients in the 15 to 49-year-old bracket and in the under-15-year-old bracket was 75% and 6,4% respectively. Male-to-female ratio was 1.36. Prevalence dropped from 4.4/100,000 inhabitants in 1990 to 1.9/100,000 inhabitants in 2005. The detection rate decreased from 6.8/100,000 inhabitants in 1990 to 2.1/100,000 inhabitants in 2005. There was a high prevalence of multibacillary cases after 1995. The incidence of the leprous reactions was 11%. The infirmity rate was 8.5%. The cure rate was 78% after multidrug therapy in 98.2% of cases. Relapse occurred in 6.1% of cases and 16% were lost from follow-up. This study confirms the decreasing prevalence of leprosy in Lomé as well as its changing clinical profile with an increase in multibacillary leprosy.