We report a patient with severe multi-bacillary leprosy complicated by recurrent episodes of erythema nodosum necrotisans that required thalidomide and/or corticosteroids during follow-up. Although the patient was from an area to which Chagas disease is endemic, this diagnosis was initially missed and was only investigated when heart failure developed in the patient. The difficulties of managing erythema nodosum necrotisans and heart failure concomitantly and those involved in excluding the diagnosis of acute myocarditis caused by reactivation of Chagas disease secondary to the immunosuppressive regimen are discussed. Other potential causes for the heart failure and possible interactions between the two diseases and their treatments are discussed. We also reviewed the literature for the association between leprosy and Chagas disease, both of which are highly endemic in Brazil. This case emphasizes the importance of searching for subclinical co-infections in leprosy patients because reactions frequently develop during specific treatment in these patients, and these reactions require prolonged therapy with immunosuppressive drugs.
BT - The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21633036?dopt=Abstract DA - 2011 Jun DO - 10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0547 IS - 6 J2 - Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. LA - eng N2 -We report a patient with severe multi-bacillary leprosy complicated by recurrent episodes of erythema nodosum necrotisans that required thalidomide and/or corticosteroids during follow-up. Although the patient was from an area to which Chagas disease is endemic, this diagnosis was initially missed and was only investigated when heart failure developed in the patient. The difficulties of managing erythema nodosum necrotisans and heart failure concomitantly and those involved in excluding the diagnosis of acute myocarditis caused by reactivation of Chagas disease secondary to the immunosuppressive regimen are discussed. Other potential causes for the heart failure and possible interactions between the two diseases and their treatments are discussed. We also reviewed the literature for the association between leprosy and Chagas disease, both of which are highly endemic in Brazil. This case emphasizes the importance of searching for subclinical co-infections in leprosy patients because reactions frequently develop during specific treatment in these patients, and these reactions require prolonged therapy with immunosuppressive drugs.
PY - 2011 SP - 973 EP - 7 T2 - The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene TI - A patient with erythema nodosus leprosum and Chagas cardiopathy: challenges in patient management and review of the literature. VL - 84 SN - 1476-1645 ER -