Abstract
Objective: Identify the main forms of diagnosis and analyze the factors associated with adherence and abandonment of leprosy treatment in Brazil. Methods: Systematic literature review. The search was carried out in the databases Scientific Electronic Library Online (Scielo), Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS) and Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (Medline), publications were selected from 2010 to 2020. The descriptors: public health and diagnosis and combined chemotherapy and leprosy were used. Results: The importance of early diagnosis was found to decrease the transmissibility process. Regarding adherence, the following were reported: the relevance of health education, the role of religiosity and family ties for coping with treatment. Sociodemographic factors, difficulties in understanding the guidelines of the health team, physical elements, discrimination, impotence in the face of the problem were influencers of treatment abandonment. Final considerations: Leprosy and aspects related to treatment adherence/abandonment represent a challenge to be overcome by Brazilian public health. It is expected that the result of this research will be a guiding element for future work on the topic. It is suggested that, in the future, studies be carried out in order to investigate the local reality, in relation to data on adherence, abandonment and forms of diagnosis of leprosy.