Cytological diagnosis of lepromatous leprosy: A report of two cases with review of literature

Abstract

The "gold standard" for the diagnosis and classification of leprosy to date, is histological examination of skin biopsy in correlation with the bacteriological indices. These are, however, time-consuming. An attempt was made to diagnose leprosy using fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) which is a simple, safe, cost-effective and time-saving procedure with minimal trauma and complications. This case report highlights the role of FNAC in rapid diagnosis and early management, in patients of leprosy.

Keywords

• FNAC; leprosy; rapid diagnosis