LEPROMATOUS LEPROSY: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

Hansen's disease, also known in the past as leprosy, is an infectious disease that remains endemic in >140 countries around the world and it remains a major health care problem in many underdeveloped and developing countries like India and Brazil. The risk of transmission is increased for individuals living in close contact with patients with leprosy, most likely through infectious aerosols but possibly also through direct contact. This study repots a case of a 52-year-old male patient presenting multiple well-defined cutaneous and oral variable-sized nodules and with hypoesthesia. The clinical diagnostic hypotheses were leprosy, Von Recklinghausen's neurofibromate, Kaposi's sarcoma, leishmaniasis, syphilis, paracoccidioidomycosis, lobomycosis, or xanthomatosis. An incisional biopsy was performed from the oral lesion. The histopathologic examination showed chronic inflammatory infiltrate rich in macrophages forming granulomas and neural invasion. Positivity was found for CD68, S100, and Ziehl-Neelsen staining. The diagnosis of lepromatous leprosy was made. The patient is in follow-up. Hansen's disease, also known in the past as leprosy, is an infectious disease that remains endemic in >140 countries around the world and it remains a major health care problem in many underdeveloped and developing countries like India and Brazil. The risk of transmission is increased for individuals living in close contact with patients with leprosy, most likely through infectious aerosols but possibly also through direct contact. This study repots a case of a 52-year-old male patient presenting multiple well-defined cutaneous and oral variable-sized nodules and with hypoesthesia. The clinical diagnostic hypotheses were leprosy, Von Recklinghausen's neurofibromate, Kaposi's sarcoma, leishmaniasis, syphilis, paracoccidioidomycosis, lobomycosis, or xanthomatosis. An incisional biopsy was performed from the oral lesion. The histopathologic examination showed chronic inflammatory infiltrate rich in macrophages forming granulomas and neural invasion. Positivity was found for CD68, S100, and Ziehl-Neelsen staining. The diagnosis of lepromatous leprosy was made. The patient is in follow-up.