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Classification of Leprosy

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Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer

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Abstract

Diagnosis and classification are two essential points for correct patient management. Correct classification allows proper treatment and alerts of the risk of leprosy reaction and nerve damage. The Ridley–Jopling classification recognizes the complex pathogenesis of leprosy and is based on a spectrum that extends from tuberculoid leprosy (TT), through borderline tuberculoid (BT), mid-borderline (BB), borderline lepromatous (BL), to the poorly resistant lepromatous leprosy (LL). The World Health Organization (WHO) classification, for therapeutic purposes, divides patients into paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB) on the basis of the number of skin lesions. PB cases have up to five skin lesions in total, whereas MB cases have six or more skin lesions. The two systems are complementary rather than exclusive.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dermatoloy Unit & Scientific Coordinator, Galliera Hospital, Genoa, Italy

    Cesare Massone

  2. Dermatoloy Unit, Galliera Hospital, Genoa, Italy

    Alexandra M. G. Brunasso

Authors
  1. Cesare Massone
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  2. Alexandra M. G. Brunasso
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cesare Massone .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de DermatologĂ­a, Universidad TĂ©cnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador

    Enrico Nunzi

  2. Dermatoloy Unit & Scientific Coordinator, Galliera Hospital, Genova, Italy

    Cesare Massone

  3. Mycobacteriology Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium

    Françoise Portaels

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Massone, C., Brunasso, A.M.G. (2022). Classification of Leprosy. In: Nunzi, E., Massone, C., Portaels, F. (eds) Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89704-8_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89704-8_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-89703-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-89704-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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