title: Localized lepromatous leprosy presenting as a painful nodule in a muscle.
abstract: Lepromatous leprosy is a generalized disease usually presenting with numerous macules, papules, nodules or plaques involving wide areas of the skin. It is generally believed that in India lepromatous leprosy often originates from the borderline spectrum (Jha et al, 1991). Localized lepromatous or borderline lepromatous disease is a rare variant of multibacillary leprosy (Yoder et al, 1985; Jha et al, 1991; Pfaltzgraff & Ramu, 1994; Vijaikumar et al, 2001). This variant usually presents as a single nodule or a localized area of nodules and papules, while most of the body surface appears normal (Pfaltzgraff & Ramu, 1994; Vijaikumar et al, 2001). Its occurrence in our case as a single painful nodule in the bicep muscle of left forearm was indeed intriguing, such presentation being rarely reported in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and STD, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry 605006, India. dmthappa@satyamnet.in
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Thappa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dave
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karthikeyan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Laxmisha
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jayanthi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007917:Leprostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D007917:Leprostatic Agents