Differential Diagnosis of Leprosy
(IfTDICAnOHAL JOutNAL OP UPROSY Volume 59. Number 2 Printed in the U.S.A. Differential Diagnosis of leprosy / K. F. Schaller! From time immemorial leprosy has often Numerous features of macular diseases been mistaken for numerous other diseases resemble leprous disease patterns; howev (I). In countries where leprosy is endemic, er, in most cases these diseases can be other diseases are not infrequently taken to excluded because of the negative result of be leprosy. In areas where leprosy is Dot the sensitivity test. Melanoderma and leu endemic, the disease is easily overlooked or coderma, vitiligo, pinta, tinea versicolor not recognized. The simultaneous presence and nevus anemicus, can be cited as exam of several diseases should also be taken into ples, to mention only a few of them. In one consideration, because they may be con single case, a patient with an extensive fused with one another, or one may conceal vitiligo suffered simultaneously from inde another. It has also not been proven that terminate leprosy. Even clinically normal the presence of leprosy precludes other appearing skin can show the histopatholog diseases or that it is a forerunner of them, ic picture of leprosy, a condition known as with the exception of the sequelae of lepro diffuse lepromatosis, which was first de sy. Thus, in Ethiopia sporadic cases of scribed in Mexican patients (Figs. 1-4). tetanus could be observed, tbough leprosy The papular lesions and plaques may be patients are always said to be immune mistaken for psoriasis, lichen ruber planus, against tetanus. However, with the great superficial mycoses, "tuberculoid" types of number of ulcerations and lesions of the leishmaniasis, syphilis, pityriasis rosea, and skin, a higher occurrence of tetanus cases neurodermitis circumscripta.
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