Heart Failure in a Patient with Leprosy

AbstractLeprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is a chronic infection caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Though leprosy predominantly involves peripheral nerves and skin, visceral involvement was recognized as early as 1894 by Hansen and Looft. It is known that the bacilli can lie dormant in some tissues of the body long after the skin smears have become negative. We describe a case of leprosy in an Indian male who presented to us with heart failure. This is likely the first report of showing the possible association of leprosy with heart failure from India. The cardiovascular involvement in leprosy is briefly reviewed.