Evaluation of the relationship between osteoporosis and musculoskeletal deformities in leprosy patients through the DXA procedure

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between musculoskeletal deformities and osteoporosis in patients with leprosy. This study included 87 patients with leprosy who were admitted to the Leprosy, Skin and Venereal Diseases Hospital affiliated to the Association of Public Hospitals in Bakirkoy, Istanbul between the years of 2010 and 2014 and 85 healthy controls showing similar demographical characteristics with the leprosy patients. Osteoporosis-related bone density test was performed in both groups using the Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA). The mean age of the 172 patients (female: 69; male: 103) included in the study was 62.930+/-12.135 years. According to the T scores obtained from the DXA measurements, the osteoporotic changes occurred at a higher rate both in femoral and lumbar regions in leprosy patients as compared to non-leprosy patients (38 versus 24 and 25 versus 12, respectively). Additionally, the BMD measurements in femoral and lumbar regions were lower in leprosy patients (0.712+/-0.156 versus 0.830+/-0.108 and 0.847+/-0.153 versus 1.024+/-0.182, respectively). It was established that whereas leprosy patients tended to develop osteoporosis in femoral region, non-leprosy patients tended to develop osteoporosis in the lumbar region at a younger age. While "osteoporosis" occurred after the age of 40 years in the patients both with and without leprosy, "osteopenia" was observed to appear at younger ages (at the age of 27 years) in the patients that have leprosy. Osteoporotic changes are more common and develop at younger ages in the patients with leprosy. Early treatment that may be initiated after DXA measurement at femur may increase the quality of life of the leprosy patients by decreasing their osteoporosis-related health problems.