الفهرس 
ACNOWLEDGMENT
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Abstract
Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease and public health problem. It presents a broad spectrum of clinical and histopathological manifestation which reflect the nature of individual’s immune response to mycobacterium leprae.
Leprosy produces disability and deformity through nerve damage (e.g cranial nerve and peripheral nerve trunks).
Because of the bacterial resistance induced by monotherapy, it has been necessary to develop and implement effective multidrug treatment of leprosy patients.
On the basis of the available information and taking into account that a single lesion leprosy may be cured by a regimen other than the standrad MDT. The WHo Expert Committee on Leprosy concluded that patients could be classified into three groups.
1- Paucibacillary single lesion leprosy (one skin lesion).
2- Paucibacillary leprosy (PB) (2-5 skin lesions). This group included all polar tuberculoid (TT), borderline tuberculoid (BT) and indeterminate (I).
3- Multibacillary leprosy (MB) (more than 5 skin lesions). This group consists of polar lepromatous (LL), bordline lepromatous (BL) and mid-borderline (BB) patients. However, all patients showing smear positivity should be classified as having multibacillary leprosy for the purpose of MDT programmes.