title: The wide range of clinical manifestations in leprous neuropathy: two case reports.
abstract: The present report describes two patients with leprous neuropathy diagnosed in Japan and manifesting with different clinical features. A 78-year-old Japanese man presented with a 3-year history of numbness and weakness affecting the upper and lower extremities. Although he did not have skin eruptions, nerve biopsy revealed acid-fast bacilli. Another patient, a 41-year-old Japanese-Brazilian man, presented with a 1-month history of numbness in the right fourth and fifth fingers and whole-body erythema. These cases highlight the fact that, as a result of worldwide travel and immigration, leprosy should still be considered in the differential diagnosis of neuropathy in developed countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.forename: Rina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawagashira
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iijima
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagamatsu
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sobue
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D001938:Brazil / Q000208:ethnology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007918:Leprosy / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D015441:Leprosy, Tuberculoid / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*