Lepromatous leprosy: a review and case report.

Leprosy is a contagious and chronic systemic granulomatous disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae (Hansen s bacillus). It is transmitted from person to person and has a long incubation period (between two and six years). The disease presents polar clinical forms (the multibacillary lepromatous leprosy and the paucibacillary tuberculoid leprosy), as well as other intermediate forms with hybrid characteristics.