RCAAP Repository

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Cellulitis dissecans and folliculitis decalvans may present, in early stages, a similar clinical picture. This article presents the ultrasound findings of dissecting cellulitis that help in the diagnosis and treatment. Ultrasound is not a substitute for observation, trichoscopy and histopathology, but it may help with diagnosis. In the active phase, non-encapsulated ovoid lesions of relatively well-defined edges with hypoechogenic content, which communicate with the dermis through the enlarged bulbs of hair follicles, were observed. It allows distinction from folliculitis decalvans and from a trichilemmal cyst (in case of single or few lesions) and, by allowing the assessment of inflammation when combined with color Doppler, it can monitor inflammation and therapeutic response. The authors share 2 illustrative clinical cases and a review of the literature on the topic.

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Pigmented epithelioid melanocytoma is a rare, newly described melanocytic tumor that encompasses lesions previously classified as animal type melanomas and epithelioid blue nevus of the Carney complex. Pigmented epithelioid melanocytoma is a specific clinicopathological entity with particular clinical presentation and histological features. We present the case of a 5 year old female patient with a heavily pigmented papule on her right thigh that showed histological findings compatible with pigmented epithelioid melanocytoma and discuss the relevance /clinical significance of sentinel lymph node biopsy as a staging procedure in this particular neoplasm.

Solid organ transplant recipients (SOTR) are more likely to develop cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), compared to the general population. This increased incidence is due to several factors including chronic ultraviolet radiation exposure, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, immunosuppressive medication, among others. Primary prevention is crucial, because not only are cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas more frequent in SOTR, but they are also more aggressive and have therefore a worse prognosis. Newer immunosuppressive drugs are associated with a smaller risk of developing CSCC, but they can have more adverse events, prompting patients to abandon therapy. Concerning treatment options for CSCC, they range from surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic therapy, although there are few studies in SOTR concerning the use of immunotherapy and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors.  

In the past few years, the glucose sensor FreeStyle Libre® has been associated with several cases of allergic contact dermatitis. The allergen responsible for most of these cases is isobornyl acrylate, a substance present within the sensor that migrates through the adhesive, thereby reaching the skin. Acquired leukoderma, which may occur in an area previously affected by allergic contact dermatitis, has been described in several medical devices with adhesives. However, until the present, only one case of leukoderma induced by allergic contact dermatitis to FreeStyle Libre® has been described. We report the case of a 41-year-old woman with diabetes mellitus type 1, who developed leukoderma in association with allergic contact dermatitis to this glucose sensor.

Endometriosis occurs in about 10% of women of reproductive age. It is histopathologically characterized by the presence of endometrial glandular tissue and/or stroma outside the uterine cavity. The main cutaneous site is the umbilicus. Primary skin endometriosis is rare and underdiagnosed. It should be suspected in the presence of an erythemato-violaceous nodule with a bleeding tendency, especially during the menstrual period, even in the absence of previous abdominal surgery or history of pelvic endometriosis. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice. Gynecological evaluation is recommended, since the association with pelvic disease occurs in 26% of cases of skin endometriosis. We report a case of a violaceous nodule on an umbilical scar showing bleeding during menstruation, which evolved over a year following trauma, in a patient with no history of abdominal surgeries and/ or endometriosis.

Brentuximab vedotin is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of adult patients with CD30-positive primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, refractory to at least one previous line of therapy. The authors report two clinical cases of primary cutaneous anaplastic large-cell lymphoma treated with brentuximab vedotin, with different clinical responses. Nevertheless, brentuximab vedotin may be a valid therapeutic alternative for the treatment of these pathologies.

Trichomoniasis is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide. In women, Trichomonas vaginalis infection may present with vaginitis, cervicitis, or pelvic inflammatory disease, while in men it is mainly asymptomatic or causes mild and transient symptoms of urethritis, epididymitis, or prostatitis. In the past, little importance had been given to the impact of T. vaginalis infection on men’s health, since it was believed to be a self-limited condition without sequelae. However, there is growing evidence it is associated with more serious disorders in both men and women and efforts to diagnose and treat this parasitic infection have increased. Recent advances in testing for sexually transmitted diseases using multiplex molecular assays have increased diagnostic opportunities for T. vaginalis infection, especially in men, as detection of the parasite by traditional methods is much more challenging. We describe an unusual case of male urethritis caused by T. vaginalis observed in our consultation of Sexually Transmitted Infections.

Introduction: Brazil has presented alarming and growing data on infection and deaths from SARS-CoV-2. There are more than 4 500 000 confirmed cases and more than 137 000 deaths ranking second in the world ranking of infected people. In addition to the involvement of the respiratory, cardiovascular, renal and neurological systems, this virus also causes non-specific skin lesions in same patients. Little is known about the pathophysiology of cutaneous involvement. At this moment, we cannot predict a difference in prognosis based on skin lesions. Methods: We conducted an observational case study of 25 patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 who had dermatological lesions. We described the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of each case, demonstrating the polymorphism of the skin lesions and also making a correlation with the chronology of presented systemic symptoms. Results: Twenty five cases of COVID-19 with cutaneous manifestations (urticaria, erythematous rash, maculopapular eruption, pruritus, erythema multiforme-like lesions, dyshidrotic eczema) were observed during, after and before systemic symptoms. A few cases with skin involvement were also observed as isolated symptoms of the viral infection. These data demonstrate the clinical polymorphism related to skin involvement of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, emphasizing the importance of clinical suspicion by dermatologists when handling suspected cases in the current epidemiological scenario. Conclusion: Although the number of cases in the world stage seems to be regressing, infection by SARS-CoV-2 will be part of the dermatologist's daily routine. As long as we do not have a widely available vaccine and the pandemic takes on an endemic profile, we need to be aware of these manifestations, not only for the proper diagnosis, indication of patient isolation, as well as all the necessary biosafety procedures in dermatology clinics.    

Scalp involvement with hair loss is common in systemic lupus erythematosus. Discoid lupus erythematosus may cause scarring alopecia, characterized by well-delimited erythematous plaques with scales, follicular hyperkeratosis and atrophy, which is considered a trichological emergency. Early diagnosis and treatment are necessary in order to prevent permanent hair loss. We describe a 44 years’ old female patient with systemic lupus erythematosus for 4 years, with multiple areas of occipitoparietal alopecia, erythematous plaques, atrophy, scales and some bloody crusts. Trichoscopy, histopathology and direct immunofluorescence led to the diagnosis of discoid lupus erythematosus. After 9 months treatment with thalidomide there was complete hair regrowth.

Lupus vulgaris is a clinical variant of cutaneous tuberculosis, a rare subtype of extrapulmonary infection caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. A paucibacillary form associated with high degrees of immunity, predominantly in the face, may present several clinical and histopathological differential diagnoses, which makes its diagnosis challenging. We present a case of lupus vulgaris in an immunocompetent patient, whose initial clinical presentation and histopathology did not suggest the condition. The objective is to highlight the relevance of the hypothesis of cutaneous tuberculosis as an important differential diagnosis, especially in endemic areas.

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory multifactorial disease. Severe cases affect the quality of life. The pathogenesis is complex, marked by defective cellular immune system, exacerbation of Th2-type immune response and impaired skin barrier function. Studies suggest that vitamin D acts in the regulation of the innate and adaptive immune response, reduces the inflammatory process and improves the skin barrier. Our objective was to correlate vitamin D serum levels with the severity of AD. Material and Methods: Between 2015 and 2018 the authors evaluated 30 patients aged between 18 and 90 years old, under treatment at a Dermatology ambulatory clinic. Patients were divided into 2 groups: mild disease (only topical therapy) and moderate to severe disease (under immunosuppressive treatment). Results: Ten cases with mild AD and 20 with moderate to severe AD were selected. Among patients with mild disease, 20% had vitamin D deficiency. As for patients with moderate to severe disease, 40% had a deficient serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Comparing the average vitamin D in the two groups, there was no statistical difference between them. Conclusion: In the literature, the association between vitamin D levels and the severity of AD remain controversial, although some studies support this association. In this study, despite the proportion of patients with 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency being twice as high among patients with moderate to severe AD, there was no statistical significance between the groups, corroborating previous manuscripts. Clinical studies relating atopic dermatitis to vitamin D are warranted, considering its possible use as a concomitant therapy.

Targeted therapy and immunotherapy have markedly improved prognosis of advanced melanoma patients. With expanded use of these drugs, a range of cutaneous adverse events has emerged. Although the vast majority of adverse events are low-grade, they many cause significant morbidity and can affect patients' quality of life. Early diagnosis and prompt intervention may prevent unnecessary discontinuation of life-saving anticancer therapies. In this article, we review the cutaneous adverse events of small molecules and monoclonal antibodies used for the therapy of melanoma and discuss their pathophysiology and recommendations for prevention and management of these adverse events.

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is related to several extrapulmonary disorders; however, little is known about the skin disorders characteristics and prevalence. Objetive: Summarize and evaluate the skin disorders’ characteristics and prevalence reported in the literature. Methods: We conducted a search on PubMed, SciELO and ScienceDirect between 01/01/2020 to 09/28/2020. The target population was patients with skin disorder and a positive diagnosis for COVID-19. All observational studies, research letters, case series and case reports were selected. We evaluated observational studies using Random- effects models to calculate the weighted mean prevalence and 95% confidence interval (CI). We evaluated the case studies using the chi-square test for dichotomous variables and the Mann-Whitney test for continuous variables. Results: Eighty-seven patients from case reports and six observational studies with 363 patients were selected. Eleven types of skin disorders in COVID-19 confirmed patients are described. Skin disorder weighted mean prevalence was 9.9% (95% CI: 3.7-24.1). Maculopapular rash was the most prevalent disorder (37.5%; 95% CI: 21-57%). Latency was significantly lower in patients over 60 years old (p=0.041). Conclusion: Each cutaneous manifestation has its particularities and may or may not accompany other signs and symptoms. It is possible for the elderly to have COVID-19- related skin disorders early.

Introduction: Skin diseases show a high prevalence in hospital settings. Hospitalized patients with associated dermatoses present a higher mortality risk than individuals without skin conditions, reinforcing the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. Methods: A systematic review was performed in five databases Medline, SciELO, LILACS, Web of Science and Scopus, using the keywords “Inpatients” AND “Dermatology”, covering the period from 2010 to 2020. Then a narrative review was conducted through the authors’ selection of relevant references about hospital dermatology, including review articles, books, and other publications. Results: Based on search strategy, we found 166 publications of which 26 studies were eligible for inclusion in the study. From this literature review, we analysed dermatoses frequencies among hospitalized patients and the types of dermatological care. Dermatological diseases constitute important pathologies in hospitals, with infectious and drug eruptions as the most prevalent skin diseases. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that dermatological diseases are highly frequent among hospitalized patients. Most studies corroborate the contribution of Dermatology for hospital care.

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Introduction: The hair cycle is especially susceptible to endogenous and exogenous stimuli, including febrile states and emotional stress, which are a constant in this pandemic era. In this case series, we describe the clinical characteristics of patients recently diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection who developed acute telogen effluvium. Material and Methods: We performed a registry of patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who developed acute telogen effluvium and actively sought medical care at the Hair Unit of Dermatology Center of CUF Descobertas Hospital, from March 2020 to October 2020. Patient demographics, the month of SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis, COVID-19 associated symptoms, latency of telogen effluvium, duration of hair loss, and associated scalp symptoms were recorded. Results: Twenty-seven patients recently diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection presented with acute telogen effluvium. Of them, 5 (18.5%) patients mentioned trichodynia. The median time of latency of increased hair loss since SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis was 10 weeks. In a third of cases (n=9, 33.3%), hair loss occurred early (with a latency period of 3 weeks or less). The resolution of telogen effluvium was documented in 16 (59%) cases with a median duration of hair loss of 24.5 days. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 were fever (n=17, 63%), ageusia (n=8, 30%), cough (n=6, 22%), myalgia (n=5, 18.5%), anosmia (n=4, 15%), and thoracalgia (n=3, 11%). Four patients (15%) with SARS- -CoV-2 infection were asymptomatic for COVID-19. Discussion: Acute telogen effluvium corresponds to a delayed consequence of an abnormal shift in the hair cycle from anagen to telogen, which is responsible for premature hair shedding, occurring approximately two to three months after a triggering event. Viral illnesses and febrile states are known causes. Regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection, we hypothesize that viral cytopathic effects and inflammatory or immune responses may affect hair follicles and explain hair loss and trichodynia. Conclusion: Our case series presents the first comprehensive collection of patients with acute telogen effluvium following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Interestingly, in a third of our cases, telogen effluvium developed within the first 3 weeks of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Based on these data, we propose that this finding should be considered in COVID-19, especially at the convalescent phase.