A Case with Microbiologically Confirmed Lepromatous Leprosy from Mersin, Turkiye

Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae bacillus, causes damage especially to the skin, upper respiratory tract mucosa and peripheral nerves. In order to prevent the spread of leprosy, which has an effective treatment, it is essential to promptly identify and accurately diagnose cases in the early stages. In this article, we present a patient with lepromatous leprosy who applied to the dermatology outpatient clinic in a non-endemic region. The diagnosis was confirmed through the detection of acid-fast bacilli in the patient's skin biopsies and the identification of the M. leprae complex using molecular methods. This disease, characterized by non-specific skin lesions in the early stages, should be considered by all clinicians as a potential differential diagnosis. Furthermore, adopting a multidisciplinary approach can greatly facilitate the diagnosis process.