A benign, stable, and resistant form of leprosy in which the lepromin reaction is strongly positive but which shows little or no Mycobacterium leprae present in the tissues, and in which the lesions are inflamed, red, well-defined plaques that infiltrate the nervous tissue causing a loss of skin sensation as well as sensorimotor damage to nerves serving the area. Also called cutaneous leprosy, nodular leprosy.