Eye Disease and Leprosy

Below Details are Adapted from the American Academy of Ophthalmology Summary Benchmarks, November 2010 (www.aao.org)

(Ratings: A: Most important, B: Moderately important, C: Relevant but not critical Strength of Evidence: I: Strong, II: Substantial but lacks some of I, III: consensus of expert opinion in absence of evidence for I & II)

Initial Exam History

• Ocular symptoms (decreased vision, epiphora, symptoms of irritation) (A:III)
• Duration of lagophthalmos (6 months) (A:III)
• Duration of leprosy (usually from date of diagnosis) (B:III)
• Type of leprosy (A:III)
• MDT treatment; what drugs and for how long (A:III)
• History of leprosy reactions (B:III)

Initial Physical Exam

• Visual acuity (A:III)
• Eyelids and lid closure (A:III)
• Corneal sensation (A:III)
• Conjunctiva (A:III)
• Sclera (A:III)
• Pupil (A:III)
• Nasolacrimal apparatus (A:III)
• Slit lamp biomicroscopy
• Corneal epithelial integrity (A:III)
• Corneal nerve beading, stromal opacity (B:III)
• Anterior chamber (A:III)
• Iris atrophy (A:III)
• Iris "pearls" (B:III)
• Posterior synechiae (A:III)
• Cataract (A:III)

Care Management

The main important conditions (cataract, lagophthalmos, anterior uveitis) are managed as for any patient, and people with leprosy should be integrated into the normal eye care service, specifically:

• Cataract should be removed when it adversely affects patient's visual function (A:III)
• IOL is not contraindicated as long as quality of surgery is good and eye is quiet (A:III)
• Chronic lagophthalmos should be treated surgically if cornea is compromised or cosmesis is a problem, regardless of severity of lagophthalmos, by whatever procedure the surgeon does best (A:III)
• Special considerations in a person afflicted with leprosy include:
• New onset lagophthalmos (duration <6 months) should be treated with oral prednisolone 25-30 mg per day tapered over 6 months. (A:III)
• Acute uveitis should be treated with intensive topical steroid; associated systemic leprosy reaction must be ruled out or treated if present with systemic steroid give dose) (A:III)

Patient Education

• At the end of MDT all patients should be warned that lagophthalmos could develop and understand the risks associated with this. (A:III)
• Patients with residual lagophthalmos must be told about the risk form exposure and specifically warned about development of red eye and decreased vision. (A:III)
• Patients should understand risks to eye during reaction and given explicit instructions on where to report if reaction develops. (A:III)
• All patients should be informed of significance of decreased vision and told to report this to case worker for referral to higher level. (A:III)

- compiled & published by Dr Dhaval Patel MD AIIMS