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- Title
Delayed Diagnosis of Leprosy in a Micronesian Soldier - Case Report.
- Authors
Bossalini, John P; Bandino, Justin P; Miletta, Nathanial R
- Abstract
Lepromatous leprosy represents a cutaneous infection by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. Once considered a common, fatal disease, leprosy has become increasingly rare with modern, inexpensive antibiotics. Most healthcare workers will never encounter a case of leprosy due to the low prevalence of the disease. However, military physicians, through deployments and contact with foreign-born servicemembers, are one of the first lines of defense against this disease. With an unknown method of transmission and an insidiously slow replication, it can take years for the disease to fully manifest. There are multiple cutaneous manifestations associated with the infection that can mimic other infectious etiologies, stalling appropriate diagnosis and treatment. To determine which treatment course is recommended requires evaluation of disease dissemination and the level of host immune response. As the incidence of reported leprosy cases continues to decline, disease education on diagnosis and treatment is imperative to enhance early detection and intervention. Understanding the populations at risk for leprosy and its insidious presentation will aid the practitioner in minimizing disease burden for both U.S. servicemembers and our foreign partners.
- Subjects
MICRONESIA; HANSEN'S disease; MYCOBACTERIAL diseases; MYCOBACTERIUM leprae; MILITARY physicians; CUTANEOUS manifestations of general diseases; DISEASE prevalence; DRUG therapy for Hansen's disease; HANSEN'S disease diagnosis; DAPSONE; DIAGNOSIS; EXANTHEMA; LEPROSTATIC agents; MEDICAL errors; MYCOBACTERIUM; MILITARY personnel
- Publication
Military Medicine, 2019, Vol 184, Issue 9/10, p561
- ISSN
0026-4075
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1093/milmed/usz138