Tuberculoid relapse in lepromatous leprosy.

It is commonly accepted that the attainment of bacteriological negativity fails to restore the immune state of leprosy patients who have downgraded to lepromatous. We report six patients who had been lepromatous (LLs), and who, after many years of chemotherapy and bacteriological negativity, were found upon relapse to have upgraded to borderline-tuberculoid (BT). Five had become Mitsuda lepromin positive. The relapses could be accounted for by proven or suspected dapsone resistance. The upgrading was associated with minimal signs of reaction, which was attributed to the low level of antigen in the almost resolved lesions. The manner of development of the new high immune lesions resembled the onset of a primary infection, clinically and histologically. The development of a positive Mitsuda reaction in longstanding LL leprosy is not necessarily an indication of cure.