Doctors are finding leprosy in the heartland

January 5, 2009

A man presents with a fever of 109 degrees, swollen lymph nodes, and hepatosplenomegaly.

MedPage Today
reports that many doctors are unaccustomed to diagnosing and treating leprosy.

Approximately 150 cases are diagnosed annually, mainly in port cities. As immigrants are moving middle America, where the jobs are, medical providers are finding more cases.

The big clue is “a reduction or absence of sensation around the suspect lesion,” and if suspected, leprosy can be diagnosed without much of a problem.

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