Premium
Position statement: LEPROSY : Diagnosis, treatment and follow‐up
Author(s) -
Alemu Belachew W.,
Naafs B.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of the european academy of dermatology and venereology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.655
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1468-3083
pISSN - 0926-9959
DOI - 10.1111/jdv.15569
Subject(s) - leprosy , medicine , mycobacterium leprae , position statement , tuberculosis , disease , dermatology , immunology , family medicine , pathology
Background Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae ( M. leprae ) or Mycobacterium lepromatosis ( M. lepromatosis ). In Europe, most of the leprosy cases are imported. However, occasionally a case is diagnosed in one of the old endemic foci. Leprosy is often not suspected because it is no longer emphasized in the medical curricula. Attention shifted from leprosy to tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus infections in the late 20th century, whereby the WHO leprosy programme was toned down in the conviction that leprosy was all but eliminated. The result of unawareness is a harmful doctor's delay. Material and methods This paper focusses on clinical diagnosis, complications and treatment based on literature and experience. Results It mentions the value of laboratory tests in classification, follow‐up and detection of relapses. It discusses the etiopathology. Conclusion This is a position statement.