Leprosy in an Adopted Woman Diagnosed by Molecular Tools: A Case Report from a Non-Endemic Area

Abstract

Coupled with its rarity in non-endemic areas, the clinical heterogeneity of leprosy makes diagnosis very challenging. We report a diagnosis of multibacillary leprosy in a 22-year-old Indian woman, adopted at the age of 10 and living in Italy. The patient presented with painful skin lesions on the face, trunk, and lower and upper extremities, associated with dysesthesia and a motor deficit in her left leg following corticosteroid therapy interruption. Histopathology results from the skin lesions suggested leprosy, but no acid-fast bacilli were identified. Molecular biology in a center specializing in tropical diseases confirmed the diagnosis, allowing prompt and adequate treatment. Genotype analysis allowed the identification of a genotype 1D of M. leprae, facilitating the epidemiological investigation of the plausible infection origin. No resistances to rifampicin, dapsone, or ofloxacin were detected. Leprosy will continue to exist in high-income nations, and the incidence may rise over time due to increasing migration and globalization. CARE guidelines were followed.