CASE REPORT
An unexpected leprosy diagnosis in Nordic patient with skin lesions
1
Department of Pathology, Innlandet Hospital, Lillehammer, Norway
2
Department of Microbiology, Innlandet Hospital, Lillehammer, Norway
Publication date: 2026-02-23
Corresponding author
Arnhild Binde
Arnhild Binde Department of Pathology Innlandet Hospital P.O. Box 990 2629 Lillehammer, Norway
Arnhild Binde Department of Pathology Innlandet Hospital P.O. Box 990 2629 Lillehammer, Norway
Pol J Pathol 2025;76(4):355-359
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Leprosy is a rare chronic infectious disease that can be challenging to diagnose in non-endemic settings due to limited clinical experience among physicians and its marked clinical heterogeneity. We report the case of leprosy in a Nordic patient with an extensive travel history who presented with cutaneous lesions, nasal congestion, and peripheral neurological symptoms. Although the histopathological findings were not fully specific, modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining revealed numerous acid-fast bacilli within the tissue samples. Mycobacterium leprae was subsequently confirmed by molecular analyses. To minimise diagnostic delay and prevent disease progression, we provide an overview of the histopathological features of leprosy and discuss relevant differential diagnoses.
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| eISSN: | 2084-9869 |
| ISSN: | 1233-9687 |
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