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Á¦¸ñ Clinical Epidemiology of Ambulatory Leprosy Patients(World Vision Leprosy Center)1955-1971
ÀúÀÚ Chung J. S., Lew J. ¼Ò¼Ó Dept. of Health Education Ewha Womans University and Dept. of Microbiology, Yonsei University, College of Medicine
³âµµ 1972 ±Ç 8
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¿ä¾à Although the leprosy has a long history anions human beings, today the leprospy is
still one of important sociomedical diseases in many countries throughout the world.
In this study the data of clinical records of the registered leprosy cases at the World
Vision Leprosy Center were computerized and analysed in order to exppse various facets
of recent treads in leprosy and to revaluate the previous reports on the epidemiological
status of leprosy in Korea. A total of 3164 leprosy cases are included who there
diagnosed, registered and treated continuously on ambulatory basis at the Leprosy
Center through May 1955 to December 1971.
The results are summarized and concluded as follows:
1) The yearly registered number of new cases of leprosy at this Center was peaked
to 331 in 1961 and then gradually decreased to 138 in 1970. It appeared that overwhole
decrease in the number of new cates throughout the country and the increased leprosy
services through other out-patient clinics and mobile teams have brought the gradual
decrease in the number of yearly new cases of leprosy after 1961.
2) Examination of birth place and present residence of the registered leprosy cases
revealed that birth place of the most of the cases were Honam and Yungnam which are
well-known heavily endemic area of leprosy in Korea, but more than a half of the cases
have their residence in Seoul and Kyungi province which are locally close to the
Leprosy Center. This indicated a tendency of concentrated residence of leprosy cases in
theses areas and 8it appeared to be due, in part, to the social prejudice against leprosy
in this country.
3) Generally, the decree of education of the patients was higher than that of other
reports, but their economic status was poor.
4) A study of the patients' motives of having diagnosis and treatment on the
voluntary basis at this Center showed that the practical training of general practitioner
doctors and medical personnel in leprosy, as well as public education on the modern
concept of leprosy is of great importance.
5) A family history of leprosy was recognized in 17.1% of the total patients and a
history of contact with leprosy cases in 17.031.
6) The distributions of the major disease types in the total patients were 54.0% of
lepromatous and 34.5% of tuberculoid type. In the yearly distribution of leprosy types,
the number of lepromatous leprosy patients has gradually increased since 1957, and in
1971 the rate of leprolnatous to tuberculoid was 1.8 : 1. It is interpreted to indicate that
the epideinicity of leprosy in Korea has been decreasing and the general immunity in
the community against leprosy has been lowered.
7). In sex distribution of the resistered patients, the ratio of mate to female was about
3 to 1. An analysis of the distribution of disease types in regard to the birth plate of
the patients revealed that in the highly endemic Honam and Yungnam area the
lepromatous type was more prevalent than the tuberculoid. This finding supported the
general assumption that leprosy is quite endemic in Honam and Yungnam areas in
Korea.
8) More than a half of the patients had their age of onset between 16 and 20, and the
time of the registration at the Center was between 21 and 25. The delay of
approximately 5 years from the onset of the disease to the time of registration(and
treatment) appeared to impose a serious obstacle in the control of leprosy in Korea.
9) After the onset of the disease, most of the patients wafted more than 2 years until
they had exact diagnosis and began treatment.
10) Bacteriological examination of skin smears of the registered patients at the Center
showed that 51% among the total cases and 85.4% of lepromatous type were positive
bacteriologirally at the time of diagnosis and registration.
Among the bacteriological positive cases, lepromatous cases required longer time of
treatment to become bacteriological negative i.e., 63.9% of them took 5 years of regular
treatment. The rate of bacteriological positive cases among tuberculoid type was onto
6.30%, and furthermore almost all of them (97.1%) became bacteriologically negative
within 5 years of treatment.
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