as described below? [Israeli doctors are not likely to recognize or to think about leprosy easily,I suppose]

SUMMARY A 65-year-old Surinamese man was diagnosed with ‘rheumatoid arthritis’ on the basis of the clinical picture and radiological abnormalities. In the end, however, he was found to have leprosy. This became apparent when the patient developed skin abnormalities during treatment for the alleged rheumatoid arthritis and complained of an increase in his sensitivity disorders. He received combination therapy with rifampicin, clofazimine, dapsone and prednisone. As a result, the skin abnormalities and joint complaints disappeared, but not the sensitivity disorders. Because doctors have insufficient knowledge of leprosy and because this condition has many manifestations that can resemble more frequent syndromes, the diagnosis is often made late. Then irreparable damage may have occurred, especially to the peripheral nerves, resulting in disability. It is therefore important to consider leprosy in patients who come from areas where leprosy is endemic and who have joint complaints in combination with skin abnormalities or sensory disturbances.

This was published in a Dutch journal of medicine [NTVG]