Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2023 Apr 24:44:198.
doi: 10.11604/pamj.2023.44.198.37051. eCollection 2023.

Catastrophic ocular complications in leprosy: a case report

Affiliations
Case Reports

Catastrophic ocular complications in leprosy: a case report

Samyak Ashok Ganjre et al. Pan Afr Med J. .

Abstract

Leprosy is a chronic, granulomatous infectious disease commonly affecting the skin, nerves, mucosa and eyes. The stigma associated with the disease frequently leads to delay in presentation to health professionals. Treated patients, though considered cured presumptively, many continue to live with physical disabilities and deformities. Intact visual acuity prevents humans from trauma and any reduction in visual acuity, especially in leprosy, increases the risk of getting injured by many folds. Here, we present a case of leprosy with complete loss of vision due to bilateral anterior staphyloma secondary to keratitis and his physical deformities preventing him to take care of his eyes. This paper aims to emphasize on the importance of a baseline ophthalmology consultation in all newly diagnosed leprosy patients and repeat examination at onset of any new symptoms of the eye.

Keywords: Disabilities; case report; deformities; ocular leprosy; staphyloma.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
anterior staphyloma in both eyes with madarosis, wide palpebral fissure and collapsed nasal bridge
Figure 2
Figure 2
amputated digits of bilateral hands (palmar view)
Figure 3
Figure 3
amputated digits of bilateral hands (lateral view)
Figure 4
Figure 4
amputated digits of feet

References

    1. Ghosh S, Chaudhuri S. Chronicles of gerhard-henrik armauer hansen's life and work. Indian J Dermatol. 2015;60(3):219. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Trindade MAB, Benard G, Ura S, Ghidella CC, Avelleira JCR, Vianna FR, et al. Granulomatous Reactivation during the Course of a Leprosy Infection: Reaction or Relapse. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2010;4(12):e921. - PMC - PubMed
    1. WHO Expert Committee on leprosy, Organization WH . World Health Organization. WHO Expert Committee on leprosy: eighth report 2012. Accessed August 24, 2022.
    1. World Health Organization Weekly Epidemiological Record. Wkly Epidemiol Rec Relevé Épidémiologique Hebd. 2013;88(35):365–380.
    1. Grzybowski A, Nita M, Virmond M. Ocular leprosy. Clin Dermatol. 2015;33(1):79–89. - PubMed

Publication types