Leprosy Skin Manifestation
Leprosy infection presents in a continuum ranging from the mildest indeterminate form to the most severe lepromatous type.
Leprosy skin manifestation. Leprosy also known hansens disease is an infectious disease caused by mycobacterium leprae and mycobacterium lepromatosis that involves the skin and peripheral nerves. The clinical manifestations of leprosy depend on the immune response to m. They are slightly asymmetrical with slight or no anesthesia.
Symptoms and physical findings vary depending on the stage of disease and level of infection. The skin lesions and deformities were historically responsible for the stigma attached to leprosy. The nodular form of this condition is the most advanced form of the disease.
Lepraelepromatosis and range over a spectrum from multibacillary lepromatous leprosy ll showing limited or low immunity to m. Peripheral nerves are enlarged moderately and symmetrical. Disfigurement hair loss particularly on the eyebrows and eyelashes muscle weakness permanent nerve damage in the arms and legs inability to use hands and feet chronic nasal congestion nosebleeds and collapse of the nasal septum iritis which is an inflammation of the iris of.
Multibacillary mb or lepromatous hansens disease is characterized by generalized or diffuse involvement of the skin a thickening of the peripheral nerves under microscopic examination and has the potential to involve other organs the eyes nose testes and bone. Lepromatosis comprise mycobacterium leprae complex. Therefore early lepromatous leprosy lesions have little or no loss of sensation.
The cardinal signs of leprosy are hypopigmented or reddish patches of skin with a loss or alteration of sensation enlarged peripheral nerves and the demonstration of acid fast bacilli on skin smears or skin biopsies. However even with proper multidrug therapy mdt the extensive sensory and motor damage can. Skin lesions are moderate to numerous.
What are the clinical features of leprosy. Symptoms of leprosy are generally so slight that the disease is not recognized until a cutaneous eruption is present. 90 of patient present with numbness first sometimes years before the skin lesions appear.
The skin may be smooth and shiny but skin changes do not occur in lepromatous leprosy until late in the course.