Background: Leprosy is a chronic infection with high morbidity in Brazil. Primary care physicians{\textquoteright} lack of knowledge about the disease may play a significant role in underdiagnosis. This study aimed to assess primary care physicians{\textquoteright} ability to identify typical leprosy skin lesions and their knowledge of the subject.
Methods: This cross-sectional study relied on a questionnaire in which participating doctors chose one main diagnostic hypothesis and two differential diagnoses for each skin lesion presented. Five leprosy lesions were included. Questions regarding management, follow-up, and diagnostic workup for the disease were also included. The questionnaire was sent\ to primary care physicians working in Curitiba, in the Southern Brazilian state of Paran{\'a}, and dermatologists, who constituted the control group.
Results: Thirty-two primary care physicians and 26 dermatologists agreed to participate in the study. Primary care physicians accurately identified a mean of 1.8 {\textpm} 1.2 of the five leprosy skin lesions, while dermatologists accurately identified 2.5 {\textpm} 0.9 (P = 0.009). The main misdiagnosed leprosy forms were the lepromatous and histoid variants. Among primary care physicians, 56.2\% claimed to have little knowledge of the subject and a large share of participants was unaware of recent updates in treating paucibacillary forms, even within the dermatologist subgroup.
Conclusions: Primary care physicians in Curitiba have little information regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of leprosy. Even dermatologists had difficulties with treatment and patient management, emphasizing the constant need for education on this subject.
}, year = {2024}, journal = {International Journal of Dermatology}, publisher = {Wiley}, issn = {0011-9059, 1365-4632}, doi = {10.1111/ijd.17359}, language = {ENG}, }