Diagnosis: Leprosy lepromatous
Description: Infiltrated plaques on the fingers
Morphology: Plaque
Site: Finger
Sex: M
Age: 34
Type: Clinical & Histology
Submitted By: Ian McColl
Differential DiagnosisHistory: Lepromatous leprosy presents as diffuse,plaque or nodular types with a predeliction for cooler acral areas.The skin is not anaesthetic,hypopigmented or anhydrotic in contrast to tuberculoid leprosy where these features are found.Infection is due to Mycobacterium leprae, an acid fast bacillus that grows best at 32 C .Hence a tendency for the lesions to occur on the cooler acral areas of the human body.A host animal in Texas in the USA is the armadillo!