Lucio–Latapí Leprosy

Abstract

Diffuse lepromatous leprosy or pure and primitive leprosy or lazarine leprosy or Lucio–Latapí leprosy is a systemic and peculiar form of leprosy, a polar lepromatous type of the disease in which the patient has no response to lepromin skin test, has no lepromas but diffuse infiltration of the whole skin, is multibacillary, and develops an acute reaction known as Lucio’s phenomenon. Patient also has dysesthesia, anhidrosis, hair loss not only from the scalp, and a “succulent” aspect which in time becomes atrophic. Histopathologically there is wide infiltration by macrophages filled with acid-fast bacilli, probably belonging to a particular strain named Mycobacterium lepromatosis.