The immunology of Hansen's disease

Hansen's disease (leprosy) occurs from infection with Mycobacterium leprae organisms. The manifestations of the disease, including eye involvement, arise from the interaction between the etiological agent and the immune system of the body. A very broad range of clinical and histopathological findings may therefore be seen in Hansen's disease, varying from the extreme of disseminated infection and minimal immunological response (lepromatous leprosy) to a limited infection with a brisk, exaggerated immunological response (tuberculoid leprosy).