Evidence Hub

Hansen’s disease patient in Ohio successfully treated with a monthly rifampin, minocycline, and moxifloxacin regimen: a case report

D. E. Sanković, Alyssa L. Hubal, Mandy Alhajj, Neil W. Anderson, S. Cherian, Praveen Gundelly, E. Ransom

ASM case reports, 2025

2 citations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Hansen’s disease, also known as leprosy, is an infection of the skin and peripheral nerves that is rarely encountered in the United States. This case describes a patient without recent international travel who achieved a successful therapeutic outcome using a new monthly multidrug treatment regimen recommended by the National Hansen’s Disease Program. Case Summary A 78-year-old male presented with peripheral neuropathy, widespread macular erythematous rash involving face, trunk, extremities, bilateral hand edema, and oligoarticular unilateral elbow and knee bursitis. A skin biopsy revealed a lymphohistiocytic infiltrate in the presence of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) without globi. No AFB were recovered from tissue culture. Direct molecular testing from the skin biopsy detected Mycobacterium leprae . The patient had no recent risk factors for contracting Hansen’s disease, other than travel to Florida. The patient was treated with a monthly multidrug therapy regimen of rifampin, moxifloxacin, and minocycline (RMM) and had successful clinical reduction in disease manifestations. Conclusion Hansen’s disease is uncommon in the United States, especially in the Midwest. However, providers should include Hansen’s disease on their differential even if recent travel was only domestic, particularly to Florida. In addition, the monthly multidrug treatment regimen RMM is an effective monthly treatment alternative, especially for patients with concerns of intolerance to…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

Read the paper

Related studies

Go deeper in Evidence Hub

Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.

Open this study Sign up free