01414nas a2200193   4500000000100000008004100001653001200042653001400054653001200068100001100080700001500091700001300106245010300119856006400222300001000286490001500296520089500311022001401206       2014                            d10aleprosy10adiagnosis10aMimicry1 aRath D1 aBhargava S1 aKundu BK00aLeprosy Mimicking Common Rheumatologic Entities: A Trial for the Clinician in the Era of Biologics  uhttp://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/crirh/2014/429698.pdf  a1 - 50 v20143470903 aRheumatoid arthritis and seronegative spondyloarthritis, which make up the lion’s share of cases attending a rheumatology clinic, are relatively easy to diagnose. However, when an entity of infective aetiology like leprosy known to be a great mimic of different autoimmune conditions presents with features similar to these, the possibility of it being diagnosed at the outset is very slim indeed. The ease with which the diagnosis of leprosy can be missed assumes sinister proportions as the use of disease modifying agents can have deleterious effects in these patients. In the era of increasing availability and use of biologic disease modifying agents, it is imperative not only to actively rule out the presence of leprosy but also to make it a part of the prebiologic screening of patients in whom biologics are being planned to be administered, especially in leprosy endemic areas.  a2090-6889