Diffuse Alopecia of the Scalp in Borderline-Lepromatous Leprosy in an Indian Patient
January 1997
in “
Leprosy Review
”
TLDR A neglected leprosy treatment led to rare scalp hair loss in an Indian woman, which improved with proper medication.
In 1997, a case was reported of a 64-year-old Indian female patient with borderline-lepromatous leprosy who presented with generalized alopecia of the scalp and lepromatous lymphadenitis of the suboccipital lymph node, which are rare occurrences in Indian patients. The patient had neglected regular antileprosy therapy over a 21-year period, leading to the progression of her disease. Histopathological examination confirmed that the alopecia was caused by lepromatous disease, which typically affects cooler parts of the body and is uncommon on the scalp due to its higher temperature. After starting multidrug therapy-multibacillary regimen (MDT-MBR), there was appreciable growth of scalp hair. The case highlighted the rarity of generalized scalp alopecia and lepromatous lymphadenitis of the suboccipital lymph node in leprosy, particularly in Indian patients.
