Leprosy (Hansen disease) is a chronic bacterial disease caused by the acid-fast intracellular rod Mycobacterium leprae

-it affects the skin and the peripheral nerves 

–the bacterium thrives in cooler areas of the body such as the earlobes, nose, and testicles, and in the regions where the peripheral nerves are close to the skin

Symptoms & Signs

The disease is divided clinically into two distinct types: lepromatous and tuberculoid

-Skin lesions: Pale, anesthetic macular lesions, discrete erythematous, infiltrated nodules 

-Neurologic disturbances: nerve infiltration, thickening, anesthesia, motor dysfunction, trophic ulcers, bone resorption, loss of digits 

Diagnosis 

Diagnosis is confirmed by the demonstration of acid-fast bacilli, biopsy of skin or of a thickened nerve 

Treatment 

Multidrug therapy: Dapsone, rifampicin, and clofazimine