Classification and general aspects of leprosy

ABSTRACT

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease whose etiological agent is Mycobacterium leprae. Recently, Mycobacterium lepromatosis is also implicated as a causative agent and has been identified in different forms of the disesase. Leprosy is a comples disease from a clinical histopathological, and molecular point of view. The wide complex disease from a clinical, histopathological characteristics observed throughout the disease spectrum and reactions render it a challenging disease in clinical and pathological practice. This chapter discusses the main aspects of the disease and its hispathological classification. An important approach to the bacilloscopic examination, which is fundamental for the histopathological classification of the disease, showing its quantitative and qualitative aspects, is discussed. the various photographic panels demonstrate the bacillus' ability to parasitize different types of tissues and cells of the skin and other organs of the human body...