TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Leprosy A1 - Walsh, Douglas S. A1 - Portaels, Françoise A1 - de Jong, Bouke C. A1 - Meyers, Wayne M. A2 - Kline, Mark W. PY - 2018 T2 - Rudolph's Pediatrics, 23e AB - Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, an acid-fast bacillus (AFB) first recognized by Hansen in 1873 in Bergen, Norway, while examining smears from lepromas of Norwegian patients. Notably, the organism was the first reported bacterium causing chronic disease in humans and principally affects the cooler parts of the body, especially the skin, upper respiratory tract, testes, eyes, and superficial segments of peripheral nerves. The stigma suffered by patients with leprosy has historically been severe. Because of the stigma of leprosy, physicians must carefully consider the social implications of a diagnosis of leprosy, especially in children. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/10/10 UR - accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1182936158 ER -