Introduction

Leprosy or Hasen’s disease is a chronic nonfatal infectious disease, which is caused by mycobacterium leprae which closely resembles mycobacterium tuberculosis but it is less acid-fast.

The discovery of causative organism by Hansen in 1874.

Incidence

The disease is endemic in areas with hot and moist climates in poor tropical countries .leprosy is almost exclusively a disease of a few developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, India, China, Nepal, Brazil, Indonesia, Myanmar, etc.

Mode of transmission

Leprosy is a slow communicable disease.

the incubation period between first exposure & appearance of signs of the disease varies from 2 to 20 years.

1 – Direct contact: skin, nasal secretion, mucus membrane of the mouth, or hair follicles.

2- Materno-foetal transmission

3- Transmission of milk from affected mother to infant.

Classification of leprosy

leprosy is broadly into two main types:

1 – Lepromatous type representing low resistance.

CLINICAL FEATURES

(i)The lesion in symmetrical, multiple, hypopigmented, nodular or diffuse infiltrates . The nodular lesion coalesces and gives a leonine face appearance.

(ii)the lesion is hyperesthetic or aesthetician but the sensory disturbance is not as distinct as in TT.

2- Tuberculosis type representing high resistance.

CLINICAL FEATURES

(i)The lesion in asymmetrical, single, hypopigmented & erythematous macules.

(ii)there is a distinct sensory impairment

Reference: harsh Mohan, Robin.