Multibacillary lepromatous leprosy detected in Olmedo, Ecuador. Case report

Abstract

Introduction: hansen's disease or leprosy is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, which mainly affects the skin, peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract. It has a chronic course as old as humanity itself.Clinical case: the clinical case of a 51-year-old male patient, native and from the Olmedo canton, province of Manabí, with a farmer occupation, who began to present in November 2008 with macular, hyperchromic skin lesions, which progressed, is presented. to multiple nodules, located in the lower limbs and then spreading to the upper limbs, thorax and abdomen, neck and face. The set of clinical parameters and positive biopsy results allowed the case to be classified as Lepromatous Leprosy (multibacillary). Triple multitherapy (Dapsone, Rifampicin, Clofazimine) was prescribed, showing an improvement in the number and size of the lesions at the end of therapy.Discussion: this is the first clinical case of lepromatous leprosy detected in the Olmedo canton, Manabí province, Ecuador. Due to the novelty in the territory, the patient had this condition for years without being diagnosed or treated adequately and even once under treatment, there were delays in acquiring the medications that extended their application from 12 months to a period of 25 months.Conclusions: the clinical case presented highlights that Hansen's Disease is an emerging health problem in the Olmedo canton, highlighting the need to make sustained efforts for its identification, treatment and prevention in the territory