Home > Diseases and Conditions > Leprosy
Printer friendly viewPrint
Bookmark and Share

PubMed Health. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. Atlanta (GA): A.D.A.M.; 2011.

A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia.

Leprosy

Hansen's disease

Last reviewed: August 24, 2011.

Leprosy is a disease that has been known since biblical times. It causes skin sores, nerve damage, and muscle weakness that gets worse over time.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Leprosy is caused by the bacterium Mycobacteriumleprae. It is not very contagious and it has a long incubation period (time before symptoms appear), which makes it hard to know where or when someone caught the disease. Children are more likely than adults to get the disease.

Leprosy has two common forms, tuberculoid and lepromatous. Both forms produce sores on the skin. However, the lepromatous form is most severe. It causes large lumps and bumps (nodules).

Leprosy is common in many countries worldwide, and in temperate, tropical, and subtropical climates. About 100 cases per year are diagnosed in the United States. Most cases are in the South, California, Hawaii, and U.S. islands.

Effective medications exist. Isolating people with this disease in "leper colonies" is not needed.

Drug-resistant Mycobacterium leprae and an increased numbers of cases worldwide has led to global concern about this disease.

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

Signs and tests

Treatment

A number of different antibiotics (including dapsone, rifampin, clofazamine, fluoroquinolones, macrolides, and minocycline) are used to kill the bacteria that cause the disease. More than one antibiotic is often given together.

Aspirin, prednisone, or thalidomide is used to control inflammation.

Expectations (prognosis)

Diagnosing the disease early is important. Early treatment limits damage, prevents a person from spreading the disease, and allows the person to have a normal lifestyle.

Complications

  • Disfigurement

  • Muscle weakness

  • Permanent nerve damage in the arms and legs

  • Sensory loss

People with long-term leprosy may lose the use of their hands or feet due to repeated injury because they lack feeling in those areas.

Calling your health care provider

Call your health care provider if you have symptoms of leprosy, especially if you've had contact with someone who has the disease. Cases of leprosy in the United States need to be reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Prevention

Prevention consists of avoiding close physical contact with untreated people. People on long-term medication become noninfectious (they do not transmit the organism that causes the disease).

References

  1. Renault CA, Ernst JD. Mycobacterium leprae. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2009:chap 251.
  2. Ernst JD. Leprosy (Hansen's disease). In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier. 2011: chap 334.

Review Date: 8/24/2011.

Reviewed by: Linda Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only — they do not constitute endorsementscof those other sites. © 1997–2011 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

Copyright © 2012, A.D.A.M., Inc.

What works?

  • Interventions to treat erythema nodosum leprosum, a complication of leprosy Interventions to treat erythema nodosum leprosum, a complication of leprosy
    Leprosy remains a public health issue in poorer parts of the world. In 2007 there were approximately 255,000 new cases reported worldwide. Leprosy (or Hansen's disease) is a chronic infectious disease. The skin and peripheral nerves of people with leprosy contain leprosy bacteria. Leprosy can be cured with a combination of antibiotics. The immune system plays an important role in leprosy and determines if and how the disease will develop. The response of the immune system to the antigens of the leprosy bacteria may cause periods of inflammation in the skin and nerves, called reactions. Reactions are the main cause of acute nerve damage and disability in leprosy and occur in about one third of people with leprosy. One type of reaction is erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL), a serious and often chronic complication of leprosy caused by the immune system. People with ENL have red, painful swellings in the skin and often feel ill due to fever and general malaise. There are several treatments for ENL, including the oral drugs prednisolone, thalidomide, and clofazimine. We undertook a systematic review on this topic as it was not clear which treatments were most beneficial.
See all (4)...

Drugs of interest

  • Thalidomide
    Thalidomide is used along with dexamethasone to treat multiple myeloma in people who have been recently found to have this disease. It is also used alone or with other medications to treat and prevent skin symptoms of erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL; episodes of skin sores, fever, and nerve damage that occur in people with Hansen's disease [leprosy]). Thalidomide is in a class of medications called immunomodulatory agents. It treats multiple myeloma by strengthening the immune system to fight cancer cells. It treats ENL by blocking the action of certain natural substances that cause swelling.
  • Dapsone
    Dapsone is used to treat leprosy and skin infections. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
  • Rifampin
    Rifampin is used with other medications to treat tuberculosis (TB; a serious infection that affects the lungs and sometimes other parts of the body). Rifampin is also used to treat some people who have Neisseria meningitidis (a type of bacteria that can cause a serious infection called meningitis) infections in their noses or throats. These people have not developed symptoms of the disease, and this treatment is used to prevent them from infecting other people. Rifampin should not be used to treat people who have developed symptoms of meningitis. Rifampin is in a class of medications called antimycobacterials. It works by killing the bacteria that cause infection. Antibiotics will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections.
  • Minocycline Oral
    Minocycline is used to treat bacterial infections including pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections; acne; and infections of skin, genital, and urinary systems. It can also be used to eliminate bacteria from your nose and throat that may cause meningitis (swelling of tissues around the brain) in others, even though you may not have an infection. Minocycline is in a class of medications called tetracycline antibiotics. It works by preventing the growth and spread of bacteria. Antibiotics will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections.
  • Prednisone
    Prednisone is used alone or with other medications to treat the symptoms of low corticosteroid levels (lack of certain substances that are usually produced by the body and are needed for normal body functioning). Prednisone is also used to treat other conditions in patients with normal corticosteroid levels. These conditions include certain types of arthritis; severe allergic reactions; multiple sclerosis (a disease in which the nerves do not function properly); lupus (a disease in which the body attacks many of its own organs); and certain conditions that affect the lungs, skin, eyes, kidneys blood, thyroid, stomach, and intestines. Prednisone is also sometimes used to treat the symptoms of certain types of cancer. Prednisone is in a class of medications called corticosteroids. It works to treat patients with low levels of corticosteroids by replacing steroids that are normally produced naturally by the body. It works to treat other conditions by reducing swelling and redness and by changing the way the immune system works.
See all...

Read More

MedlinePlus.gov links to free, reliable, up-to-date health information from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other trusted health organizations.

Learn about...

  • Making smart health choices Making smart health choices
    Develop the skills to assess health advice and make better-informed decisions about your health and managing illness.

Recent activity

Clear Turn Off Turn On

Your browsing activity is empty.

Activity recording is turned off.

Turn recording back on

See more...