01714nas a2200241   4500000000100000008004100001260002900042653002600071653002900097653002100126653001200147100001400159700001200173700001400185700001200199700001400211700001600225245009900241856026000340300001000600490000700610520085500617       2025                            d  bHind Kusht Nivaran Sangh10aSlit Skin Smear (SSS)10aBroken Acid-Fast Bacilli10aHansen's disease10aLeprosy1 aG Bashir 1 aM Aman 1 aAS Malik 1 aS Wani 1 aT Qayoom 1 aIN Ahangar 00aA New Case of Leprosy with Atypical Morphotype  on Slit Skin Smear- Unmasking a Hidden Invader  uhttps://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/123262857/I_J_Leprosy_atypical_morphotype-libre.pdf?1749801197=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DA_New_Case_of_Leprosy_with_Atypical_Morp.pdf&Expires=1754385870&Signature=bx7I0Nea~1PJP~YV~Rb1DBx0wqmEl  a79-820 v973 a<p>Diagnosing Hansen’s disease in a non-endemic region is challenging. Slit skin smear (SSS), remains one of the most useful and commonly utilized diagnostic modality in developing countries for microbiological diagnosis. Broken acid-fast bacilli (AFB) on SSS are an uncommon microbiological picture that should not be overlooked. Here, we present a new case of leprosy with atypical presentation: A 20-year-old native Kashmiri man, with history of non-healing ulcer left foot with microbiological picture of atypical morphotype of Mycobacterium leprae on SSS with no history of intake of anti-leprosy drugs. The patient had received treatment with antimicrobials for non-healing ulcer for some time, having partial suppressing effect on M. leprae, which might have contributed to this atypical microbiological presentation of bacilli on SSS.</p>