01648nas a2200181   4500000000100000008004100001653004100042653003100083653001000114653001200124100001300136700001100149700001300160245005200173856006800225300001200293520116100305       2024                            d10aAutoimmune Connective Tissue Disease10aAutoaggressive Hanseniasis10aLupus10aLeprosy1 aParekh A1 aShah H1 aChavda A00aLeprosy and Lupus: Concurrence or Epiphenomenon  uhttps://www.ijl.org.in/published-articles/28122024074345/10.pdf  a335-3423 a<p>Leprosy and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) share many clinical and laboratory characteristics. Azulay coined the term “autoaggressive hanseniasis” (AH) to describe multibacillary leprosy cases exhibiting clinical and immunologic features reminiscent of autoaggressive connective tissue diseases. This article presents the case of a 20-year-old Nepalese woman diagnosed with borderline lepromatous leprosy, demonstrating both clinical and laboratory evidence of autoimmune connective tissue disease. Treatment comprising a multidrug leprosy regimen alongside thalidomide and corticosteroids led to a remarkable clinical improvement. The discussion emphasizes the importance of recognizing rheumatic symptoms in leprosy cases, thereby averting misdiagnosis with autoimmune disorders, and underscores the therapeutic efficacy of thalidomide. Furthermore, we endeavor to address the diagnostic challenge surrounding autoaggressive hanseniasis in contemporary practice, pondering whether it represents a distinct clinical entity or manifests as multibacillary leprosy with clinical-serological evidence of autoimmune connective tissue diseases.</p>