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Are Lesions On The Limbs And Blurred Vision Symptoms Of Hansen's Disease?
Question: I think I have Hansen's disease. I have had contact with armadillos, my eyebrows are vanishing, I have over 30 lesions on my arms, hands and legs, my eyes are blurry and hurt and my toes are numb. My GP laughed and said i have age spots. What should I do?
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I am not a dermatologist, I'm a family practice physician, but I'll share with you my thoughts.
Statistically speaking, your symptoms are much more likely to be due to a number of other things (that may not even be related to each other), that are not Hansen's.
That said, Hansen's disease does exist, although it is rare. I went to University of Illinois, XXXXXXX for medical school, and the university dermatology clinic had a regional Hansen's disease clinic for the midwest. These clinics are regional because Hansen's occurs so rarely. The university held it's Hansen's disease clinic just one afternoon every month at the time I was a student. People came from all over the midwest. Certain nurses in the dermatology clinic were trained specifically to address the needs of people with Hansen's.
There are no Hansen's disease clinics in Louisiana where you live, but there are ones in XXXXXXX Florida, and XXXXXXX
Here is a list of Hansen's disease clinics in the U.S.:
https://www.hrsa.gov/hansensdisease/ambulatoryclinics.html
You can call a clinic and ask for suggestions of how to proceed.
But I would start by going to a good dermatologist in your area. If you can go to a dermatology clinic associated with or in a university hospital, that would be preferable, as they would likely have more experience in general. They can do the necessary biopsy for diagnosis and refer you on if needed.
As an FP I can tell you most of us do not have experience with Hansen's, and so I would not rely on your GP. So go in to see a dermatologist, regardless of the likelihood of if it is Hansen's.
I hope this information helps.
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I am not a dermatologist, I'm a family practice physician, but I'll share with you my thoughts.
Statistically speaking, your symptoms are much more likely to be due to a number of other things (that may not even be related to each other), that are not Hansen's.
That said, Hansen's disease does exist, although it is rare. I went to University of Illinois, XXXXXXX for medical school, and the university dermatology clinic had a regional Hansen's disease clinic for the midwest. These clinics are regional because Hansen's occurs so rarely. The university held it's Hansen's disease clinic just one afternoon every month at the time I was a student. People came from all over the midwest. Certain nurses in the dermatology clinic were trained specifically to address the needs of people with Hansen's.
There are no Hansen's disease clinics in Louisiana where you live, but there are ones in XXXXXXX Florida, and XXXXXXX
Here is a list of Hansen's disease clinics in the U.S.:
https://www.hrsa.gov/hansensdisease/ambulatoryclinics.html
You can call a clinic and ask for suggestions of how to proceed.
But I would start by going to a good dermatologist in your area. If you can go to a dermatology clinic associated with or in a university hospital, that would be preferable, as they would likely have more experience in general. They can do the necessary biopsy for diagnosis and refer you on if needed.
As an FP I can tell you most of us do not have experience with Hansen's, and so I would not rely on your GP. So go in to see a dermatologist, regardless of the likelihood of if it is Hansen's.
I hope this information helps.
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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