What is pure neuritic leprosy?

A rare presentation of Hansen’s disease is pure neuritic leprosy. It is characterized by nerve involvement without the characteristic cutaneous stigmata.

Which nerve is affected in leprosy?

Three major nerve branches supply sensory and motor (muscle) function to the hand and arm – the ulnar, the median and the radial nerve branches. These are listed in order of the frequency of their involvement in Hansen’s disease (leprosy).

What causes nerve damage in leprosy?

The direct mechanism of nerve damage in leprosy is attributed to the ability of M. leprae to bind and infect SC, and is predominantly found in MB forms (Fonseca et al. 2017).

What is Tuberculoid leprosy?

Tuberculoid. A mild, less severe form of leprosy. People with this type have only one or a few patches of flat, pale-colored skin (paucibacillary leprosy). The affected area of skin may feel numb because of nerve damage underneath. Tuberculoid leprosy is less contagious than other forms.

How is pure neuritic leprosy diagnosed?

Nerve biopsy is an efficient tool to diagnose PNL and differentiate it from other causes of non-leprosy neuropathies presenting as mononeuropathy multiplex. In absence of AFB, the diagnosis of PNL is challenging.

What does neuritic mean?

neuritis. / (njʊˈraɪtɪs) / noun. inflammation of a nerve or nerves, often accompanied by pain and loss of function in the affected part.

What are the 3 types of leprosy?

The first system recognizes three types of Hansen’s disease: tuberculoid, lepromatous, and borderline. A person’s immune response to the disease determines which of these types of Hansen’s disease they have: In tuberculoid Hansen’s disease, the immune response is good.

What is the difference between lepromatous and tuberculoid leprosy?

Leprosy has traditionally been classified into two major types, tuberculoid and lepromatous. Patients with tuberculoid leprosy have limited disease and relatively few bacteria in the skin and nerves, while lepromatous patients have widespread disease and large numbers of bacteria.

What causes neuritis?

Common causes include autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis; infection, either bacterial, such as leprosy, or viral, such as varicella zoster; post-infectious immune reactions, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome; or a response to physical injury, as frequently seen in sciatica.

What are the two types of leprosy?

What is neuritic dystrophy?

Dystrophic neurites (DNs) are abnormal neuronal processes characterized microscopically by aberrant sprouting, dystrophic expansion, and accumulation of various cellular organelles and cytoskeletal/signaling proteins.

What does Labiolingual mean?

1 : of or relating to the lips and the tongue. 2 : of or relating to the labial and lingual aspects of a tooth labiolingual measurement of an incisor.

How does leprosy start?

The bacterium Mycobacterium leprae causes Hansen’s disease. It’s thought that Hansen’s disease spreads through contact with the mucosal secretions of a person with the infection. This usually occurs when a person with Hansen’s disease sneezes or coughs. The disease isn’t highly contagious.

What causes lepromatous leprosy?

Hansen’s disease (also known as leprosy) is an infection caused by slow-growing bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae. It can affect the nerves, skin, eyes, and lining of the nose (nasal mucosa). With early diagnosis and treatment, the disease can be cured.

Is neuritis a serious disease?

Most people have some permanent optic nerve damage after an episode of optic neuritis, but the damage might not cause permanent symptoms. Decreased visual acuity. Most people regain normal or near-normal vision within several months, but a partial loss of color discrimination might persist.

How is the body affected by neuritis?

Overview. Peripheral neuropathy, a result of damage to the nerves located outside of the brain and spinal cord (peripheral nerves), often causes weakness, numbness and pain, usually in the hands and feet. It can also affect other areas and body functions including digestion, urination and circulation.

What are neuritic plaques?

Neuritic plaques are deposits of neuron fragments surrounding a core of amyloid β-protein. Neurofibrillary tangles are twisted fibres of the protein tau found within neurons.