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Skin Lesions, Foot Drop, and Hand Contractures

Educational Objective
Based on this clinical scenario and the accompanying image, understand how to arrive at a correct diagnosis.
1 Credit CME

A previously healthy individual in his 20s presented to the dermatology clinic for evaluation of annular skin lesions that appeared first on his right ankle and then on other areas of his body over a 3-month period. He reported numbness and paresthesia in the areas of affected skin and an inability to fully extend his fingers. The patient did not take any prescription medications or herbal supplements and had immigrated to the US from Samoa 4 years prior. Physical examination revealed multiple tattoos and annular erythematous plaques on his face, chest (Figure, left panel), back, arms, and legs. The patient had bilateral palpable thickened auricular and ulnar nerves, claw-hand deformity (Figure, right panel), foot drop bilaterally, and decreased sensation to temperature over the areas of skin plaque. Results of testing for rapid plasma reagin, antinuclear antibodies, and rheumatoid factor were negative. Examination of punch biopsy samples from 2 plaques on his back revealed granulomatous periadnexal and perivascular dermatitis with diffuse granulomatous infiltrate and foamy histiocytes. Findings on acid-fast bacilli stains and mycobacterial polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing were negative. Repeat biopsy of a skin plaque revealed no fungal organisms, and Mycobacterium leprae was not identified on Fite Faraco stain.

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A previously healthy individual in his 20s presented to the dermatology clinic for evaluation of annular skin lesions that appeared first on his right ankle and then on other areas of his body over a 3-month period. He reported numbness and paresthesia in the areas of affected skin and an inability to fully extend his fingers. The patient did not take any prescription medications or herbal supplements and had immigrated to the US from Samoa 4 years prior. Physical examination revealed multiple tattoos and annular erythematous plaques on his face, chest (Figure, left panel), back, arms, and legs. The patient had bilateral palpable thickened auricular and ulnar nerves, claw-hand deformity (Figure, right panel), foot drop bilaterally, and decreased sensation to temperature over the areas of skin plaque. Results of testing for rapid plasma reagin, antinuclear antibodies, and rheumatoid factor were negative. Examination of punch biopsy samples from 2 plaques on his back revealed granulomatous periadnexal and perivascular dermatitis with diffuse granulomatous infiltrate and foamy histiocytes. Findings on acid-fast bacilli stains and mycobacterial polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing were negative. Repeat biopsy of a skin plaque revealed no fungal organisms, and Mycobacterium leprae was not identified on Fite Faraco stain.

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Article Information

Corresponding Author: Saadeddine Saad, MD, Baylor Scott & White Clinic—Temple, 2401 S 31st St, Temple, TX 76504 (saadeddine.saad@bswhealth.org).

Published Online: June 30, 2023. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.9915

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

Additional Information: We thank the patient for providing permission to share his information.

References
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Maymone  MBC , Venkatesh  S , Laughter  M ,  et al.  Leprosy: treatment and management of complications.   J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020;83(1):17-30. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2019.10.138PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
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AMA CME Accreditation Information

Credit Designation Statement: The American Medical Association designates this Journal-based CME activity activity for a maximum of 1.00  AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to:

  • 1.00 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;;
  • 1.00 Self-Assessment points in the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery’s (ABOHNS) Continuing Certification program;
  • 1.00 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;
  • 1.00 Lifelong Learning points in the American Board of Pathology’s (ABPath) Continuing Certification program; and
  • 1.00 credit toward the CME [and Self-Assessment requirements] of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program

It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting MOC credit.

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