RESUMO
ABSTRACT Objective: The objective of this study was to describe a case of cutaneous lichen planus (LP) that appeared following COVID-19 infection. Case description: We report a case of extensive cutaneous classic familial LP in a 4-year-old male child after an asymptomatic serologically confirmed COVID-19 infection. The patient developed intensely itchy, purple, flat-topped papules and plaques, mainly on the dorsal surface of the hands, feet, forearms, and shins. Histopathological examination of the skin biopsy showed vacuolar and apoptotic degeneration of the basal cell layer with a band-like lymphocyte infiltrate at the dermo-epidermal junction and confirmed the diagnosis of LP. Comments: LP could be considered among the differential diagnoses of pediatric post-COVID inflammatory skin lesions, either in the patients recovering from COVID-19 infection or in the suspicious asymptomatic cases in close contact with COVID-19-infected patients.
RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever um caso de líquen plano cutâneo (LP) após infecção por COVID-19. Descrição do caso: Relatamos um caso de LP familiar clássico extenso cutâneo em uma criança de quatro anos de idade após uma infecção por COVID-19 assintomática e sorologicamente confirmada. O paciente desenvolveu pápulas e placas intensamente pruriginosas, roxas e achatadas, principalmente na superfície dorsal das mãos, pés, antebraços e canelas. O exame histopatológico da biópsia de pele mostrou degeneração vacuolar e apoptótica da camada basal com infiltrado de linfócitos em faixa na junção dermoepidérmica e confirmou o diagnóstico de líquen plano. Comentários: O líquen plano pode ser considerado entre os diagnósticos diferenciais de lesões cutâneas inflamatórias pós-COVID pediátricas, tanto em pacientes em recuperação de infecção por COVID-19 quanto em casos assintomáticos suspeitos em contato próximo com pacientes infectados por COVID-19.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Although acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) is a common side-effect of radiotherapy (RT), currently there is no general consensus about its prevention or treatment of choice. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether prophylactic use of topical betamethasone 0.1% can prevent ARD caused by chest wall irradiation. METHODS: Fifty-one patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer and were going to receive RT, were randomly assigned to receive topical betamethasone 0.1%, petrolatum or none during RT. The frequency and severity of ARD (measured using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group acute radiation morbidity scoring criteria) were recorded at the end of each week during RT and two weeks after its completion. Clinical outcomes were analyzed by relevant statistical methods. RESULTS: All patients developed some degree of ARD, the frequency and severity of which increased with time and reached the maximum at the end of the seventh week for all groups. Patients receiving betamethasone had less severe ARD than the other two groups throughout the course of the study, but this difference was significant only at the end of the third week (p = 0.027). No significant difference was observed between the petrolatum and control arms. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic and ongoing use of topical betamethasone 0.1% during chest wall RT for breast cancer delays occurrence of ARD but does not prevent it. Petrolatum has no effect on the prevention of ARD in these patients.