A 7-year-old child presents with painless ulcer on the sole of the foot, loss of sensation, and claw hand deformity. Slit-skin smear shows acid-fast bacilli with a Bacterial Index (BI) of 4+. According to the Ridley-Jopling classification, this child most likely belongs to which leprosy type?

• A Lepromatous (LL) ✓
• B Tuberculoid (TT)
• C Borderline tuberculoid (BT)
• D Indeterminate

Explanation

Lepromatous leprosy (LL) is the multibacillary, immunologically anergic pole of the leprosy spectrum. It features numerous lesions, high bacterial load (BI 4–6+), positive slit-skin smear, and significant nerve damage causing deformities like claw hand. Under the WHO operational classification (for MDT purposes), a BI ≥1 at any site classifies the patient as multibacillary.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.