01657nas a2200277   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001000055653002800065653001100093653002300104653001200127653000900139653002200148653002300170653002500193653001800218100001500236700001200251700001200263245005000275300001000325490000800335520102200343022001401365       2009                            d  c2009 Jun10aAdult10aDiagnosis, Differential10aHumans10aLeprostatic Agents10aleprosy10aMale10aMilitary Medicine10aMilitary Personnel10aMycobacterium leprae10aUnited States1 aChambers J1 aBaffi C1 aNash KT00aThe diagnostic challenge of Hansen's disease.  a652-60 v1743 a<p>Hansen's disease (HD), formerly referred to as leprosy, actively infects more than 250,000 persons worldwide, with over 2 million currently being treated for sequelae. Over 150 cases are annually reported in the U.S. Although transmission of Hansen's disease to military personnel is rare, physicians caring for those who deploy abroad should be aware of the diagnostic challenges and therapeutic aspects of the disease, as well as its implication for continued military service. Additionally, with U.S. involvement in humanitarian efforts abroad, many military physicians will encounter this condition in indigenous populations. Because of its relative rarity in the U.S. and its protean manifestations, diagnosis is generally delayed 6-12 months, leading to potentially irreversible sequelae. Therefore the clinician should be aware of the presentation of HD as well as the key steps to procuring a diagnosis. This paper reports a case of HD encountered in an active duty, native-born U.S. Air Force aviator.</p>  a0026-4075