Hansen's disease with HIV: a case of immune reconstitution disease

Hawaii Med J. 2009 Mar;68(2):27-9.

Abstract

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is an acute symptomatic expression of a latent infection during the recovery of the immune system usually as a response to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Opportunistic infections can trigger IRIS. Hansen's disease is an infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae). There have been a limited number of case reports reporting the presentation of the co-infection of HIV and M. leprae. We report an unique case of IRIS in a patient co-infected with HIV and M. leprae presenting as an exacerbation of his Hansen's Disease where the patient's skin lesions progressed from borderline tuberculoid to lepromatous leprosy following ART administration.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-Retroviral Agents / immunology
  • Comorbidity
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy
  • HIV Infections / epidemiology*
  • HIV Infections / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome / epidemiology*
  • Leprosy / epidemiology*
  • Leprosy / immunology
  • Male

Substances

  • Anti-Retroviral Agents