Hansen’s Disease Mimicking as Papulosquamous Conditions – A Case Series

Hansen’s disease is a chronic granulomatous infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis, primarily affecting skin and nerves, with a long incubation period. Depending upon bacillary load and host immunity, the clinical spectrum of leprosy is very wide. Leprosy, along with lepra reactions, can sometimes have uncommon clinical presentations, posing a diagnostic challenge leading to delayed treatment. We hereby present three cases of borderline lepromatous leprosy, two of them in type 1 lepra reaction, clinically mimicking papulosquamous conditions. Such scenarios with atypical presentations necessitate a keen clinical suspicion and confirmation with histopathological and microbiological examination, highlighting its role in early diagnosis, especially in endemic areas, for timely management of the disease.