Abstract

JIMENEZ-PEREZ, R; OLIVER, M  and  CRESPO, L. BCG and Hansen disease: clinical epidemiological study. Rev. argent. dermatol. [online]. 2019, vol.100, n.4, pp.1-10. ISSN 1851-300X.

Hansen's disease is a granulomatous infection whose clinical presentation and severity depend on the immunological state of the patient. Given similarities in the antigenic composition between M. tuberculosis and M. leprae, because of this the use of BCG vaccine against Hansen has been studied.

Objective: Determinate the relationship between the size of the BCG scar and the clinical severity of patients with Hansen in the Biomedicine Institute.

Methods: A descriptive study was carried out with a clinical history review of patients with BCG vaccination and Hansen's diagnosis between 2008 and 2018. Clinical forms and severity of the disease, reaction phenomena, and size of the BCG scar were registered.

Outcome and discussion: There is a relationship between the size of BCG scar and the clinical form of the disease. Patients with LL tend to have an absence of scar in a different way of the patients with BT y LI patients who have a larger size of the scar. We observed a greater frequency of type II reaction phenomena in patients without BCG scar. Patients with more severe disease shown a tendency to present small sizes of BCG scar. These findings correspond to those reported by Convit and reflects the importance of the innate response to mycobacteria for control the disease. In addition, it has had open a therapeutic tool to continue evaluating, which is the role of BCG as prophylaxis and protector against severe forms of Hansen.

Keywords : Hansen's disease; BCG; vaccine; reaction phenomena; Mycobacterium leprae.

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