Leprosy reactions: coinfections as a possible risk factor

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the frequency of coinfections in leprosy patients and whether there is a relationship between the presence of coinfections and the development of leprosy reactional episodes. METHOD: A cross-sectional study based on an analysis of the medical records of the patients who were treated at the Leprosy Clinics of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, was conducted from 2000 to 2010. Information was recorded regarding the age, sex, clinical status, WHO classification, treatment, presence of reactions and coinfections. Focal and systemic infections were diagnosed based on the history, physical examination, and laboratory tests. Multinomial logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations between the leprosy reactions and the patients' gender, age, WHO classification and coinfections. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-five patients were studied. Most of these patients were males (155/225 = 68.8%) of an average age of 49.31±15.92 years, and the most prevalent clinical manifestation was the multibacillary (MB) form (n = 146), followed by the paucibacillary (PB) form (n = 79). Erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) was more prevalent (78/122 = 63.9%) than the reversal reaction (RR) (44/122 = 36.1%), especially in the MB patients (OR 5.07; CI 2.86-8.99; p<0.0001) who exhibited coinfections (OR 2.26; CI 1.56-3.27; p,<0.0001). Eighty-eight (88/225 = 39.1%) patients exhibited coinfections. Oral coinfections were the most prevalent (40/88 = 45.5%), followed by urinary tract infections (17/88 = 19.3%), sinusopathy (6/88 = 6.8%), hepatitis C (6/88 = 6.8%), and hepatitis B (6/88 = 6.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Coinfections may be involved in the development and maintenance of leprosy reactions.

Early detection of leprosy by examination of household contacts, determination of serum anti-PGL-1 antibodies and consanguinity

A cross-sectional clinical trial in which the serum anti-phenolic glycolipid (anti-PGL-1) antibodies were analysed in household contacts (HHC) of patients with leprosy as an adjunct early leprosy diagnostic marker was conducted. The families of 83 patients underwent clinical examination and serum anti-PGL1 measurement using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Of 320 HHC, 98 were contacts of lepromatous leprosy (LL), 80 were contacts of borderline lepromatous (BL), 28 were contacts of borderline (BB) leprosy, 54 were contacts of borderline tuberculoid (BT), 40 were contacts of tuberculoid (TT) and 20 were contacts of indeterminate (I) leprosy. Consanguinity with the patients was determined for 232 (72.5 percent) HHC. Of those 232 contacts, 183 had linear consanguinity. Forty-nine HHC had collateral consanguinity. Fifty-eight contacts (18.1 percent) tested positive for anti-PGL1 antibodies. The number of seropositive contacts based on the clinical forms of the index case was 17 (29.3 percent) for LL, 15 (25.9 percent) for BL, one (1.7 percent) for BB, 14 (24.1 percent) for BT, three (5.2 percent) for TT and eight (13.7 percent) for I. At the one year follow-up, two (3.4 percent) of these seropositive contacts had developed BT leprosy. The results of the present study indicate that the serum anti-PGL-1 IgM antibody may be useful for evaluating antigen exposure and as a tool for an early leprosy diagnosis in HHC.

Controvérsias sobre o tratamento do neuroblastoma metastático (IV-S) em lactente / Controversies of the treatment of metastatic neuroblastoma (IV-S) in infants

Objetivos: Descrever caso de neuroblastorna em sua forma menos freqüente (estágio IV-S), com metástases avançadas em fígado e medula óssea em lactente de cinco meses, relatando as divergências entre as opiniões dos autores de uma extensa revisão de literatura em relação às condutas e aos resultados. Descrição: Lactente de cinco meses apresentou-se com febre e hepatomegalia a esclarecer. Ultra-sonografia abdominal demonstrou fígado com dimensões aumentadas, ecotextura heterogénea às custas de numerosas imagens hipoecóicas difusamente distribuídas e, na supra-renal direita, massa hiperecóica de contornos bem definidos, medindo, aproximadamente, 65 cm³. Biópsia de medula óssea e de fígado revelou neoplasia maligna de pequenas células redondas e azuis compatíveis com neuroblastoma. O tratamento consistiu de sete ciclos de quimioterapia. seguida pela ressecção do tumor. O exame anátomo-patológico evidenciou ganglioneuroblastoma, "intermixed". Comentários: Não na uma padronização de conduta em relação ao neuroblastoma estadiado como IV-S. Alguns autores sugerem que não se deve tratar esse tumor em pacientes menores de um ano, peia alta taxa de regressão espontânea. Outros consideram a quimioterapia a conduta mais adequada. A ressecção cirúrgica imediata ou após a quimioterapia é também controversa.

Objectives: A case of neuroblastoma in its less frequent form (stage IV-S) with advanced metastases in liver and bone marrow in a five-month-old infant is described. Description: The patient presented fever and hepatomegaly. Abdominal ultrasonography showed liver with augmented dimensions, heterogeneous echotexture due to numerous and diffusely distributed hypoechoic images. A 65 cm³ hyperechoic mass in right adrenal, with well-defined contours was detected. Biopsy of bone marrow and liver revealed malignant neoplasm of small round blue cells, compatible with neuroblastoma. Treatment consisted of seven chemotherapy cycles followed by tumor resection. Histological examination revealed intermixed ganglioneuroblastoma, Comments: A discussion on different approaches to treatment of I V-S stage neuroblastoma is made.

Nódulo pulmonar esquistossomótico simulando neoplasia: relato de caso / Pulmonary schistosomotic nodule simulating neoplasia: case report

Paciente sadio em que, ao exame de rotina, foi detectado nódulo pulmonar esquistossomótico com verme adulto, 25 anos após o tratamento específico com oxamniquine® e distante da região endêmica. O nódulo simulava clinicamente neoplasia.