Indeterminate leprosy and lepromatous index case: four cases in the same family

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, which primarily affects the skin and peripheral nerves. Brazil remains as the country with the second largest number of cases in the world. We report the case of three patients diagnosed with indeterminate leprosy in the same family. Two patients were HIV positive. An active search led to the discovery of the index case. It was crucial to persist in the search of the index case. This report shows how important it is to teach physicians and the general population about the signs and symptoms of leprosy. Early diagnosis and treatment are necessary to prevent sequelae and to eliminate the disease as a public health problem.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Silva,Vanessa Priscilla Martins da, Fonseca,Heloisa Helena Ramos, Sens,Mariana Mazzochi, Bender,Alvaro Thadeu
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Dermatologia 2013
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0365-05962013000800105
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!