LEPONTINE ALPS

Lepontine Alps Lepontine Alps leprosy also called Hansen's Disease, a chronic disease of man caused by the Mycobacterium leprae bacillus, characterized by lesions of the skin and superficial nerves; the disease also may involve the eyes, testes, and mucous membranes of the nose and pharynx. Destruction of the peripheral nerves by the bacillus leads to a loss of sensation, which, together with progressive tissue degeneration, may result in the extremities becoming deformed and eroded. There are two principal types of leprosy. The lepromatous, or cutaneous type is marked by widespread infiltration by grainy masses of chronically inflamed tissue under the skin, the mucosal membranes of the upper respiratory tract, the face, and the testes; untreated, its prognosis is poor. The tuberculoid type is marked by initial macular (stainlike) lesions with raised, reddish borders and by patches that become insensitive to physical stimulus as they spread. This type may remain quiescent or may improve, with spontaneous disappearance of the lesions and complete recovery. Modern therapy of both types involves the long-range use of sulfone drugs, which brings about immediate arrest of the infection and improvement in most cases, but the drugs may produce undesirable side effects or even exacerbations of the symptoms. Occasionally the infection persists despite continued chemotherapy. In the early 1980s health officials observed a worldwide increase in resistance to dapsone, the drug most commonly used in the treatment of leprosy, and predicted an increase in the incidence of the disease. Leprosy seems to date to antiquity. It is most prevalent in low, humid, tropical or subtropical areas of the world, most cases being found in Asia, Africa, South America, and the Pacific Islands. Reported cases of leprosy throughout the world number at least 2,000,000, and the actual number of infected persons may be as high as 11,000,000. The mode of transmission of leprosy is still unclear. It seems that prolonged, close physical contact with an infected person usually (but not invariably) precedes active infection in those who are susceptible. Congenital leprosy is unknown; infants born of infected parents do not develop the disorder if separated from them at birth. Accidental transmission has been known to occur by improperly sterilized hypodermic and tattoo needles. The prevention of leprosy rests upon the recognition of bacteriologically positive cases so that they may be isolated and treated. Physiotherapy, reconstructive surgery, and vocational training have assumed great importance in the rehabilitation of persons with arrested leprosy.