A comparison of the profile of monolesional cases among new PB cases detected in a Government Leprosy Control Unit (GLCU) and the field area of a Central Leprosy Teaching and Research Institute (CL TRI), both located in South India, demonstrates that the proportion of mono Ie siona I cases among new cases detected between 1987 and 1991 was higher in children than adults, higher in females than males (only in the CLTRI)-over 95% were the tuberculoid type. A significantly increasing trend in this

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... asing trend in this proportion could be seen in the GLCU but not in the CLTRI; an explanation of this is based on the difference in operational aspects in case detection methodology adopted by the 2 areas-e.g. intersurvey interval and mode of case detection. Such studies, focusing on single skin lesions, help us in understanding the role of various possible operational factors in influencing the behaviour of the disease. 0305-7518/94/065130 + 07 © Lepra