01608nas a2200205   4500000000100000008004100001653001200042100001300054700001500067700001300082700001100095700001600106700001700122245008100139856008300220300001200303490000900315520106400324022001401388       2016                            d10aleprosy1 aPruthi P1 aMunganda H1 aBangia A1 aRani U1 aBudhiraja R1 aBrajpuriya S00aLeprosy with Atypical Skin Lesions Masquerading as Relapsing Polychondritis.  uhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5220437/pdf/CRIID2016-7802423.pdf  a78024230 v20163 a<p>Leprosy can present with a variety of clinical manifestations depending on the immune status of the individual. After dermatological and neurological involvement, rheumatic features specially various forms of arthritis are the third most common manifestation of the disease. We describe a unique case of a 22-year-old patient presenting with external ear involvement mimicking relapsing polychondritis along with inflammatory joint symptoms and skin lesions. Ear involvement in relapsing polychondritis characteristically is painful and spares the noncartilaginous ear lobules, in contrast to painless ear involvement in leprosy affecting the lobules as well. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis, although the ear and skin lesions were not classical of leprosy. Such a presentation of leprosy closely mimicking relapsing polychondritis has not been described previously. Tissue diagnosis should always be attempted whenever possible in patients presenting with autoimmune features, so that inappropriate therapy with immunosuppressants is avoided.</p>
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