@article{22448,
  keywords = {Aged, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Humans, Leprosy, lepromatous, Male, Mycobacterium leprae, Ontario},
  author = {Jessamine PG and Desjardins M and Gillis T and Scollard D and Jamieson F and Broukhanski G and Chedore P and McCarthy A},
  title = {Leprosy-like illness in a patient with Mycobacterium lepromatosis from Ontario, Canada.},
  abstract = {<p>Here we present the first case of a patient from Ottawa Canada, presenting with leprosy-like illness associated with Mycobacterium lepromatosis. The patient had no history of travel to leprosy-endemic areas or any obvious risk factors. Clinically, the patient presented with an anesthetic maculopapular rash on the trunk, back, and extremities. A skin biopsy of a lesion revealed a dermal lymphohistiocytic infiltration involving the vessels with an inflammatory process extending to the nerves. A neurological exam also identified a severe sensorimotor polyneuropathy. Concurrently, the patient was diagnosed with non-resectable, non small cell carcinoma of the lung, further complicating his clinical presentation. A Kinyoun stain of nasal blows and a Fite stain of the skin biopsy revealed few to moderate acid fast bacilli respectively. Cultures of the skin biopsy and multiple nasal blows were negative. Molecular studies of a skin biopsy sample including sequence analysis of a 765 bp region of the 16s rRNA gene eventually identified the organism with 100% homology to M. lepromatosis. The patient was treated for leprosy and appeared to improve slightly on therapy but died as a result of his malignancy approximately five months after the initiation of therapy. This represents the first case of a patient with M. lepromatosis like illness outside of Mexico and Singapore.</p>},
  year = {2012},
  journal = {Journal of drugs in dermatology : JDD},
  volume = {11},
  pages = {229-33},
  month = {2012 Feb},
  publisher = {Physicians Continuing Education Corporation},
  address = {New York},
  issn = {1545-9616},
  language = {eng},
}