01612nas a2200253   4500000000100000008004100001260002300042653002700065653002200092653001200114653001200126100001500138700001500153700001500168700001600183700001400199700001400213245014800227856008500375300000800460490000600468520087000474022001401344       2025                            d  bBrazilian Journals10aDifferential diagnosis10adiagnostic errors10aitching10aleprosy1 aSilva ACBD1 aAbreu MMMD1 aGasparin G1 aAngeluci MB1 aMolina JD1 aTiezzi MG00aLeprosy presenting with pruritus mimicking dermatitits artefacta: understanding the significance of recognizing initial clinical manifestations  uhttps://ojs.brazilianjournals.com.br/ojs/index.php/BJHR/article/view/76462/53171  a1-80 v83 a<jats:p>Leprosy is a chronic, curable, infectious granulomatous disease caused by acid-fast bacilli (AFB) from the Mycobacterium leprae complex. Early diagnosis allows for appropriate treatment, preventing transmission and potential neurological sequelae. This report describes a case of a 67-year-old male patient who has presented with complaints of "allergy," experiencing itching in the left upper limb, accompanied by scratches, with skin lesions suggestive of factitious dermatitis. Months after treatment, he developed new ulcerated lesions and was diagnosed, through clinical and histopathological examination, as having dimorphic-Virchowian leprosy. In this sense, the clinical diagnosis of leprosy can be significantly challenging, especially considering its complex pathology, diverse symptoms, delayed progression, and varying immune responses.</jats:p>  a2595-6825