A leprosy patient on WHO multidrug therapy develops sudden facial swelling with thickening of earlobes, loss of eyebrows and eyelashes, and a positive slit-skin smear showing globi. Which form of leprosy is this?
- A Borderline tuberculoid (BT)
- B Mid-borderline (BB)
- C Lepromatous leprosy (LL) ✓
- D Borderline lepromatous (BL)
Correct answer: C. Lepromatous leprosy (LL)
Explanation
Lepromatous leprosy (LL) is characterized by diffuse skin infiltration leading to leonine facies, loss of eyebrows and eyelashes (madarosis), and ear lobe thickening. Globi, which are clumps of acid-fast bacilli within macrophages, are a hallmark histological finding in LL with very high bacillary indices (BI 5-6+). The cell-mediated immunity is profoundly suppressed, allowing unrestricted bacillary multiplication.
Reference: Neena Khanna Illustrated Synopsis of Dermatology & STD, 6th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.