Hansen's disease in a general hospital: uncommon presentations and delay in diagnosis.
BACKGROUND
The question was raised as to why 'obvious' signs of leprosy, Hansen's disease (HD), are often missed by medical doctors working in a HD endemic area.


METHODS
This study describes a small sample of patients who were diagnosed with HD during their hospital admission and not before. The discussion is whether the typical early signs and symptoms of HD are just not recognized, or whether unusual presentations confuse the attending physician.


RESULTS
A total of 23 HD patients were hospitalized during the study period, of which 6 (26%) were only diagnosed with HD during their admission. All were classified as lepromatous leprosy (LL) with a history of signs and symptoms of HD. In nearly all patients, a suspicion of HD might have been raised earlier if a careful history and dermato-neurological examination had been done.


CONCLUSIONS
Multibacillary (MB) HD, especially close to the lepromatous end of the spectrum, may mimic other diseases, and the patient can not be diagnosed without a biopsy or a slit skin smear examination. Clinicians working in a HD endemic area (Rio de Janeiro) do not always include HD in their differential diagnosis, especially when the clinical presentation is unusual. HD should be considered in all patients with skin lesions not responding to treatment, especially when they have neurological deficits, and live or have lived in an HD endemic area. Due to the increase in global travel and immigration, doctors in low endemic areas need to consider HD as a possible diagnosis.
Nery
J A da Costa
JA
Department of Dermatology, University Gama Filho, Brazil.
Schreuder
P A M
PA
de Mattos
P Castro Teixeira
PC
de Mendonça
L Vieira
LV
Tardi
R Tebaldi
RT
de Mello
S
S
Azulay
R D
RD
Lehman
L F
LF
Naafs
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies