leprosy

serious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae that attacks the SKIN , NERVES and MUCOUS MEMBRANES and has an INCUBATION period of several years. There are two forms of the disease, tuberculoid and lepromatous, depending upon the resistance of the host (the former occurs in those with a higher degree of IMMUNITY ). The tuberculoid form produces discoloured patches of skin with some numbness but is generally BENIGN and often heals untreated. Lepromatous leprosy is a much more serious and progressively destructive form of the disease, creating lumps, thickening of skin and nerves, inflammation of the IRIS , numbness with MUSCLE weakness and PARALYSIS . The more serious cases show deformity and considerable disfigurement and sometimes blindness. There is also an intermediate form with symptoms of both types (indeterminate leprosy). Although many millions of people are affected, drugs therapy is quite effective, providing a combination of ANTIBIOTICS is used (because the bacterium develops resistance to one of the SULPHONAMIDES commonly used).