Lack of Suspicion of Dapsone Hypersensitivity Syndrome in a Leprosy Patient: Case Report with Fatal Outcome

Abstract

Background Dapsone is an antibiotic used in the management of leprosy. Following the worldwide adoption of the dapsone-containing multidrug therapy for treating leprosy, an upsurge in the reported frequency of dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome (DHS) has been observed. DHS is associated with a high fatality rate among patients from low-resourced settings and patients with syndrome-associated hepatitis. Case Presentation This is a case of a Ghanaian male who, while being treated for leprosy with the multidrug therapy, developed exfoliative dermatitis and signs of liver damage, 6 weeks after treatment initiation. He was managed for dapsone-related exfoliative dermatitis and infectious causes of liver damage were investigated. However, the patient’s condition rapidly deteriorated with a fatal outcome despite discontinuation of dapsone. DHS was only considered as a differential diagnosis postmortem. Conclusion This case highlights the importance of having a high index of suspicion for DHS in all patients on dapsone and the need for a thorough workup for all leprosy patients who present with exfoliative dermatitis and signs of liver involvement within the latency period of the syndrome, especially in low resource settings. Furthermore, it stresses the need for prompt and appropriate treatment as DHS can quickly become fatal in such settings.