Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprosy, an acid-fast bacillus. It has a long incubation period of 2-5 years and optimal growth temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. Men are affected more than women at a ratio of 2:1. Key signs include hypoesthetic or anesthetic skin lesions and thickened peripheral nerves. Leprosy is classified based on infectivity and treatment response. The Ridley-Jopling classification categorizes cases as tuberculoid (TT), borderline tuberculoid (BT), borderline borderline (BB), borderline lepromatous (BL) or lepromatous (LL) based on skin and nerve involvement. Dif