| Resumo: | Numerous clinical and serological similarities exist between lepromatous and dimorphous leprosy and diseases od collagen, particularly lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. The clinical manifestations include spontaneous skin-ulcerations, ischaemic necrosis, petechial and purpuric eruptions, vesicle and bulla formation, subcutaneous nodules, hepatosplenomegaly, migratory arthralgia and polyarthritis, bizarre skin lesions including butterfly facial rashes, and a general tendency toward exacerbations and remissions. Haematological findings include anaemia and the ocasional appearance of lupus cells.Positive serological findings include rheumatoid factors, circulating thyroglobulin antibodies, false positive serological tests for syphilis, and cold precipitable proteins (a consistent finding). Because of these similarities, the authors believe that leprosy is a disease which should be considered as a model for the study of hyperglobulinaemic states, especially the diseases of collagen. An important consideration is that, unlike these other diseases, the agent causing leprosy is known.
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