ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, recently, Radiotherapy (RT) protocols requiring fewer sessions (hypofractionated) have been used to shorten RT treatment and minimize patient exposure to medical centers, and decrease the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: This longitudinal, prospective, observational study aimed to compare the quality of life (QoL) and the incidence of oral mucositis and candidiasis in 66 patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) who undergo a hypofractionated RT protocol (GHipo), total of 55 Gy for 4 weeks, or a conventional RT protocol (GConv), total of 66 - 70 Gy for 6 - 7 weeks. PURPOSE: To assess the incidence and severity of oral mucositis, the incidence of candidiasis, and QoL were evaluated using the World Health Organization scale, clinical evaluation, and the QLC-30 and H&N-35 questionnaires, respectively, at the beginning and the end of RT. RESULTS: The incidence of candidiasis did not show differences between the two groups. However, at the end of RT, mucositis had a higher incidence (p < 0.01) and severity (p < 0.05) in GHipo. QoL was not markedly different between the two groups. Although mucositis worsened in patients treated with hypofractionated RT, QoL did not worsen for patients on this regimen. CONCLUSIONS: Our results open perspectives for the potential use of RT protocols for HNC with fewer sessions in conditions that require faster, cheaper, and more practical treatments.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Candidiasis , Head and Neck Neoplasms , Mucositis , Stomatitis , Humans , Mucositis/complications , Quality of Life , Prospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2 , Stomatitis/epidemiology , Stomatitis/etiology , Stomatitis/drug therapy , Head and Neck Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Candidiasis/complications , Observational Studies as TopicABSTRACT
Mycoplasma pneumoniae-induced rash and mucositis (MIRM) is a recently defined clinical entity characterized by pneumonia caused by M. pneumoniae with associated mucositis and frequent cutaneous lesions of a characteristic pattern. Although often similar in presentation, MIRM has distinct clinical and histologic features that are different from erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis. We report a case of MIRM in a nine-year-old boy.
Subject(s)
Erythema Multiforme , Exanthema , Mucositis , Pneumonia, Mycoplasma , Stevens-Johnson Syndrome , Child , Erythema Multiforme/diagnosis , Exanthema/etiology , Humans , Male , Mucositis/complications , Mycoplasma pneumoniae , Pneumonia, Mycoplasma/complications , Pneumonia, Mycoplasma/diagnosis , Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/etiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Mycoplasma pneumoniae atypical pneumonia is frequently associated with erythema multiforme. Occasionally, a mycoplasma infection does not trigger any cutaneous but exclusively mucosal lesions. The term mucosal respiratory syndrome is employed to denote the latter condition. Available reviews do not address the possible association of mucosal respiratory syndrome with further atypical bacterial pathogens such as Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Chlamydophila psittaci, Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, or Legionella species. We therefore performed a systematic review of the literature addressing this issue in the National Library of Medicine, Excerpta Medica, and Web of Science databases. SUMMARY: We found 63 patients (≤18 years, n = 36; >18 years, n = 27; 54 males and 9 females) affected by a mucosal respiratory syndrome. Fifty-three cases were temporally associated with a M. pneumoniae and 5 with a C. pneumoniae infection. No cases temporally associated with C. psittaci, C. burnetii, F. tularensis, or Legionella species infection were found. Two cases were temporally associated with Epstein-Barr virus or influenzavirus B, respectively.