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Leprosy


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Leprosy

Alternative Names:

Hansen's disease
Symptoms:

Symptoms include:

  • one or more hypopigmented (lighter than your normal skin color) skin lesions that have decreased sensation to touch, heat, or pain
  • skin lesions that do not heal after several weeks to months
  • numbness or absent sensation in the hands and arms, or feet and legs
  • muscle weakness resulting in signs such as foot drop (the toe drags when the foot is lifted to take a step)

Signs and tests:
  • Lepromin skin test can be used to distinguish lepromatous from tuberculoid leprosy, but is not used for diagnosis.
  • Skin scraping examination for acid fast bacteria
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