Lepromatous leprosy mimicking systemic lupus erythematosus

We describe a case of a 36-year-old woman who presented with bilateral symmetrical polyarthritis of the hands, malar rash, and discoid rash over three months. She was initially diagnosed and treated as systemic lupus erythematosus but later proven to have lepromatous leprosy. The patient showed a remarkable improvement after the administration of steroids. Due to typical features of a connectivetissue disorder, a positive serological marker, photosensitivity, typical age of onset and initial response to treatment led to the confusion and delay in diagnosis of lepromatous leprosy. Further, this case emphasizes the importance of obtaining a detailed contact history and taking a skin biopsy even in a typical connective tissue lesion. Our case illustrates an unusual presentation of lepromatous leprosy mimicking systemic lupus erythematosus.