Histoid leprosy presenting as a large tumor

Tânia Rita Moreno de Oliveira Fernandes; Victor Josuan Soares de Andrade; Igor Dutra Nascimento; Ana Kívia Silva Matias

doi:10.1016/j.abd.2021.04.009

Histoid leprosy presenting as a large tumor

An Bras Dermatol. 2021 Nov-Dec;96(6):759-761. doi: 10.1016/j.abd.2021.04.009. Epub 2021 Sep 10.

Authors

Tânia Rita Moreno de Oliveira Fernandes¹, Victor Josuan Soares de Andrade², Igor Dutra Nascimento², Ana Kívia Silva Matias²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical-Surgical Pathology of the Integumentary Apparatus, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco, Petrolina, PE, Brazil. Electronic address: trmofernandes@gmail.com.
² Department of Medical-Surgical Pathology of the Integumentary Apparatus, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco, Petrolina, PE, Brazil.

Abstract

Histoid leprosy is a rare form of multibacillary leprosy, characterized by the presence of papules, plaques, or nodules whose appearance is keloid-like, skin colored, or erythematous. Fusiform cells are the main histopathological feature. Due to the fact that it can simulate other dermatological lesions, for example, dermatofibroma and neurofibroma, it constitutes a diagnostic challenge for clinicians and pathologists. It is a bacilliferous form of leprosy, and it plays an important role in disease transmission. A case of a patient with histoid leprosy living in the Northeast Region of Brazil is reported.

Keywords: Leprosy; Leprosy, lepromatous; Leprosy, multibacillary.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Humans
Keloid* / pathology
Leprosy* / pathology
Leprosy, Lepromatous* / diagnosis
Leprosy, Lepromatous* / pathology
Leprosy, Multibacillary* / diagnosis
Leprosy, Multibacillary* / drug therapy
Leprosy, Multibacillary* / pathology
Neoplasms*
Skin / pathology