Infectious diarrhea in autologous stem cell transplantation: high prevalence of coccidia in a South American center

ABSTRACT Background: Diarrhea is frequently seen in autologous stem cell transplantation. Although toxicity related to conditioning is the most common cause, infectious pathogens can play a distinctive role particularly in certain regions and environments. Methods: The role of enteropathogens was investigated in 47 patients submitted to autologous stem cell transplantation at a Brazilian center between May 2011 and May 2013. All patients who presented with diarrhea consented to stool sample analysis to identify the etiological agents including coccidia, Strongyloides sp., Clostridium difficile and other pathogenic bacteria. Results: Thirty-nine patients (83%) had diarrhea, among whom seven (17.5%) presented with coccidia, three (7.5%) with Candida sp., one (2.5%) with C. difficile, and one (2.5%) with Giardia lamblia. There was a tendency toward a higher incidence of diarrhea in older patients (p-value = 0.09) and those who received conditioning with lomustine, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan (p-value = 0.083). Furthermore, the number of days of neutropenia was higher in patients with diarrhea (p-value = 0.06). Conclusions: The high frequency of diarrhea caused by coccidia shows the importance of investigating and correctly identifying etiological agents and highlights the possible varieties of intestinal infections in patients who undergo autologous stem cell transplantation.

Miopia aguda e hipertensão intraocular após uso de topiramato / Acute miopia and intraocular hypertension after topiramate use

A migrânea acomete cerca de 6% a 7% dos homens e 18% a 20% das mulheres, principalmente entre 25 e 55 anos de idade, e é responsável por enorme impacto na atividade produtiva. O topirama-to é um das drogas antiepilépticas aprovadas pela Food and Drug Administration (FDA), sendo usado para a prevenção da migrânea. É uma droga segura, mas não isenta de efeitos adversos. Embora alterações oftalmológicas causadas pelo uso dessa medicação não sejam comuns, aqui é relatado um caso de uma paciente que, ao procurar profilaxia para as crises de migrânea, apresentou efeito adverso ocular, o qual, se não fosse reconhecido em tempo hábil, causaria efeitos maiores e mais danosos à paciente.

Migraine affects approximately 6% and 7% of men and 18% and 20% of women mainly between 25 and 55 years old, responsible for its enormous impact on productive activity. Topiramate is one of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved antiepileptic drugs used for migraine prevention. It is a safe drug but not without side effects. Although ophthalmologic changes caused by this medication are not common, here is reported a case of a patient looking for pro-phylaxis of migraine attacks exhibited an ocular adverse effect, and if not recognized in due time, larger and more harmful effects could be inflicted to the patient.