What is the value of PCR in the diagnosis of leprosy?

Leprosy Mailing List – April 9^th, 2011

Ref:    What is the value of PCR in the diagnosis of leprosy?

From:  Antoine Mahé, Colmar, France

---

Dear Dr Noto,

I repeatedly wonder about the value of PCR (on skin lesions, nasal mucus,...) in order to diagnosis difficult cases of leprosy (i.e., mainly PB cases).  I did not find any convincing data about the use of this kind of test.

Would someone from the Leprosy mailing list give me definitive focus about this topic; e.g., sensitivity and specificity of PCR in various variants of leprosy?

Kind regards,
 

Dr Antoine Mahé
Dermatologie
Hôpital Pasteur
39, avenue de la Liberté
68024 Colmar Cedex
Secrétariat (+33) 03 89 12 44 65 / 41 58

Fax (+33) 03 89 12 47 69

Portable (+33) 06 31 27 68 71