Leonine facies

Editor-In-Chief: Prab R Tumpati, MD
Obesity, Sleep & Internal medicine
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Leonine facies
Synonyms	Lion-like face
Pronounce	N/A
Specialty	N/A
Symptoms	Thickened facial skin, prominent facial folds
Complications	Blindness, nerve damage
Onset	Gradual
Duration	Long-term
Types	N/A
Causes	Leprosy, Paget's disease of bone, amyloidosis, leontiasis ossea
Risks	Hansen's disease exposure
Diagnosis	Clinical examination, biopsy
Differential diagnosis	Acromegaly, scleroderma, neurofibromatosis
Prevention	N/A
Treatment	Depends on underlying cause (e.g., antibiotics for leprosy)
Medication	N/A
Prognosis	Variable, depending on cause
Frequency	Rare
Deaths	N/A

Leonine facies is a term used in medicine to describe a lion-like appearance of the face caused by various medical conditions. The term is derived from the Latin word "leoninus," which means "lion-like."

Causes

Leonine facies can be caused by several medical conditions, including leprosy, sarcoidosis, and leishmaniasis. It can also be a symptom of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes rapid aging in children.

Leprosy

Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. It primarily affects the skin and peripheral nerves, but can also affect the eyes and respiratory tract. In severe cases, leprosy can cause thickening of the skin on the face, giving it a lion-like appearance.

Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that can affect multiple organs in the body, but most commonly affects the lungs and lymph glands. In some cases, sarcoidosis can cause skin lesions that result in leonine facies.

Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected sand flies. Cutaneous leishmaniasis, the most common form of the disease, can cause skin lesions that result in leonine facies.

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by rapid aging in children. One of the symptoms of this syndrome can be leonine facies.

Treatment

Treatment for leonine facies involves treating the underlying condition causing the symptom. This may involve antibiotics for leprosy, corticosteroids for sarcoidosis, antiparasitic drugs for leishmaniasis, or a combination of therapies for Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome.

See also

• List of medical symptoms
• List of skin conditions

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