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Additional photos may be found using Global Photo Search. Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The disease mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes.
- Overview
- What are the symptoms of Hansen’s disease?
- How does Hansen’s disease spread?
- What are the types of Hansen’s disease?
- How is Hansen’s disease diagnosed?
- How is Hansen’s disease treated?
- What are the potential complications of Hansen’s disease?
- How can I prevent Hansen’s disease?
- What’s the long-term outlook?
Also known as Hansen disease, leprosy is a bacterial infection that affects your skin, limbs, nose, and upper respiratory tract. Early treatment may prevent additional tissue damage and stop it from spreading further.
Leprosy is a chronic, progressive bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. It primarily affects the nerves of the extremities, the skin, the lining of the nose, and the upper respiratory tract. Leprosy is also known as Hansen’s disease.
Hansen’s disease produces skin ulcers, nerve damage, and muscle weakness. If it isn’t treated, it can cause severe disfigurement and significant disability.
Hansen’s disease is one of the oldest diseases in recorded history. The first known written reference to Hansen’s disease is from around 600 B.C.
The main symptoms of Hansen’s disease include:
•muscle weakness
•numbness in the hands, arms, feet, and legs
•skin lesions
The bacterium Mycobacterium leprae causes Hansen’s disease. It’s thought that Hansen’s disease spreads through contact with the mucosal secretions of a person with the infection. This usually occurs when a person with Hansen’s disease sneezes or coughs.
The disease isn’t highly contagious. However, close, repeated contact with an untreated person for a longer period of time can lead to contracting Hansen’s disease.
The bacterium responsible for Hansen’s disease multiplies very slowly. The disease has an average incubation period (the time between infection and the appearance of the first symptoms) of five years, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Symptoms may not appear for as long as 20 years.
1. Tuberculoid Hansen’s disease vs. lepromatous Hansen’s disease vs. borderline Hansen’s disease
The first system recognizes three types of Hansen’s disease: tuberculoid, lepromatous, and borderline. A person’s immune response to the disease determines which of these types of Hansen’s disease they have: •In tuberculoid Hansen’s disease, the immune response is good. A person with this type of infection only exhibits a few lesions. The disease is mild and only mildly contagious. •In lepromatous Hansen’s disease, the immune response is poor. This type also affects the skin, nerves, and other organs. There are widespread lesions, including nodules (large lumps and bumps). This form of disease is more contagious. •In borderline Hansen’s disease, there are clinical features of both tuberculoid and lepromatous Hansen’s disease. This type is considered to be between the other two types.
2. World Health Organization (WHO) classification
WHO categorizes the disease based on the type and number of affected skin areas: •The first category is paucibacillary. There are five or fewer lesions and no bacterium detected in the skin samples. •The second category is multibacillary. There are more than five lesions, the bacterium is detected in the skin smear, or both.
3. Ridley-Jopling classification
Clinical studies use the Ridley-Jopling system. It has five classifications based on severity of symptoms. There’s also a form a Hansen’s disease called indeterminate Hansen’s disease that isn’t included in the Ridley-Jopling classification system. It’s considered to be a very early form of Hansen’s disease where a person will have only one skin lesion that’s just slightly numb to the touch. Indeterminate Hansen’s disease may resolve or progress further to one of the five forms of Hansen’s disease within the Ridley-Jopling system.
Your doctor will conduct a physical exam to look for telltale signs and symptoms of the disease. They’ll also perform a biopsy in which they remove a small piece of skin or nerve and send it to a laboratory for testing.
Your doctor may also perform a lepromin skin test to determine the form of Hansen’s disease. They’ll inject a small amount of Hansen’s disease-causing bacterium, which has been inactivated, into the skin, typically on the upper forearm.
WHO developed a multidrug therapy in 1995 to cure all types of Hansen’s disease. It’s available free of charge worldwide.
Additionally, several antibiotics treat Hansen’s disease by killing the bacteria that causes it. These antibiotics include:
•dapsone (Aczone)
•rifampin (Rifadin)
•clofazimine (Lamprene)
•minocycline (Minocin)
Delayed diagnosis and treatment can lead to serious complications. These can include:
•disfigurement
•hair loss, particularly on the eyebrows and eyelashes
•muscle weakness
•permanent nerve damage in the arms and legs
•inability to use hands and feet
The best way to prevent Hansen’s disease is to avoid long-term, close contact with an untreated person who has the infection.
The overall outlook is better if your doctor diagnoses the Hansen’s disease promptly before it becomes severe. Early treatment prevents further tissue damage, stops the spread of the disease, and prevents serious health complications.
The outlook is typically worse when diagnosis occurs at a more advanced stage, after an individual has significant disfigurement or disability. However, proper treatment is still necessary to prevent any further body damage and prevent the spread of the disease to others.
- Maureen Donohue
CDC. Hansen’s Disease (Leprosy) Signs and Symptoms. Symptoms mainly affect the skin, nerves, and mucous membranes (the soft, moist areas just inside the body’s openings). The disease can cause skin symptoms such as: A large, discolored lesion on the chest of a person with Hansen’s disease.
Browse 2,160 authentic leprosy stock photos, high-res images, and pictures, or explore additional leprosy day or leprosy face stock images to find the right photo at the right size and resolution for your project.
Leprosy (also called Hansen’s disease) is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae (my-co-bak-TEER-ee-um LEP-pray). It can affect your eyes, skin, mucous membranes and nerves, causing disfiguring sores and nerve damage. Leprosy has been around since ancient times.
Hansen’s disease (also known as leprosy) is an infection caused by slow-growing bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae. It can affect the nerves, skin, eyes, and lining of the nose (nasal mucosa). With early diagnosis and treatment, the disease can be cured.
Leprosy. Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease ( HD ), is a long-term infection by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis. [4] [7] Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. [4] This nerve damage may result in a lack of ability to feel pain, which can lead to the loss of parts of a ...
