Le diagnostic de la lèpre

Leprosy, due to Mycobacterium leprae, is an infectious disease which did not totally disappear in France. Indeed, in French metropolis about 20 new cases, all non autochtonous, are diagnosed annually and in French overseas departments, localized in the historic endemic areas, new native (autochtonous) cases are still regularly diagnosed. The diagnosis of the disease is not difficult provided that it is evoked. It always remains based on classic clinical, histological and bacteriological criteria. The new techniques of detection of bacilli by M. leprae DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and of serology are certainly specific but stay of a partial sensibility. They are not at present considered as indispensable to the diagnosis.