Mycosis fungoides refractory to treatment - importance of a multidisciplinary approach.

We report a case of difficult-to-control mycosis fungoides (MF), where the role of the dental surgeon was crucial for the control and prognosis of the disease. A 62-year-old female patient diagnosed with MF had a previous record of red patches and small raised bumps on the face, along with a cancerous growth in the cervical and vulvar region. The patient was initially treated with methotrexate and local radiotherapy without resolution. Chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone was then started (CHOP protocol). The dental team of a reference hospital was consulted to evaluate swelling in the anterior region of the palate, which had been developing for two months, reporting discomfort when eating. The role of the dentistry team was fundamental in the differential diagnosis of oral lesions with dental infections, second neoplasia, or even a new site of disease manifestation, in addition to controlling mucosal changes resulting from chemotherapy. After ruling out dental infection, the dentistry team performed a lesion biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. The histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis showed atypical lymphoid infiltration of T cells (CD3+/CD4+/CD7-/CD8-), coexpression of CD25, and presence of CD30 cells, corresponding to the finding for MF. Identifying CD30 + allowed for a new chemotherapy protocol with brentuximab vedotin (BV) combined with gemcitabine. This protocol effectively controlled MF, which previous protocols had failed to do. The diagnosis by the dental team was essential for therapeutic change and improvement of the patient's clinical condition without the need for invasive medical procedures.

Evaluation of the use of blood in surgeries as a tool to change patterns for requesting blood product reserves.

OBJECTIVES: Thirty to sixty percent of prepared blood products are not transfused. Blood reserves for surgeries lead to many unused blood products, which increases hospital costs. The aim of this study is to identify the request and use profiles of blood products for elective surgeries in different surgical specialties, the influence of surgery time and demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables on the number of red blood cells (RBCs) used and to calculate the rate of transfused patients (RTP) and cross-matched and transfused (C/T) RBCs. METHODS: Observational and prospective studies. Sociodemographic, clinical and quantitative data on the request and use of blood products were collected. The influence of the data on the use of RBCs was examined by binary logistic regression. Chi-square, one-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests were utilized to compare the data among the specialties. RESULTS: In total, 822 procedures were included. Most of the requested blood products were not used, even 24 hours postoperatively. Of the 2,483 RBC units, 314 were transfused, leaving 87.6% unused; however, cardiac, digestive tract, vascular, gynecologic, urologic and thoracic surgery procedures transfused 50%, 25%, 16.5%, 11%, 9.5% and 8.1% of requested RBCs, respectively. The factors that influenced the transfusions were age, time of surgery and cardiac surgeries. The RTP was >10% in 22 surgical types and <1% in 24 surgical types, and 88% of samples presented a C/T ratio >2.5. CONCLUSION: The RTP and C/T ratios can guide RBC requests in the preoperative period. Knowing the standard of use of blood products and developing protocols enables the optimization of reserves, reduction of costs and improvement of care.

Evaluation of the use of blood in surgeries as a tool to change patterns for requesting blood product reserves

OBJECTIVES: Thirty to sixty percent of prepared blood products are not transfused. Blood reserves for surgeries lead to many unused blood products, which increases hospital costs. The aim of this study is to identify the request and use profiles of blood products for elective surgeries in different surgical specialties, the influence of surgery time and demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables on the number of red blood cells (RBCs) used and to calculate the rate of transfused patients (RTP) and cross-matched and transfused (C/T) RBCs. METHODS: Observational and prospective studies. Sociodemographic, clinical and quantitative data on the request and use of blood products were collected. The influence of the data on the use of RBCs was examined by binary logistic regression. Chi-square, one-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests were utilized to compare the data among the specialties. RESULTS: In total, 822 procedures were included. Most of the requested blood products were not used, even 24 hours postoperatively. Of the 2,483 RBC units, 314 were transfused, leaving 87.6% unused; however, cardiac, digestive tract, vascular, gynecologic, urologic and thoracic surgery procedures transfused 50%, 25%, 16.5%, 11%, 9.5% and 8.1% of requested RBCs, respectively. The factors that influenced the transfusions were age, time of surgery and cardiac surgeries. The RTP was >10% in 22 surgical types and <1% in 24 surgical types, and 88% of samples presented a C/T ratio >2.5. CONCLUSION: The RTP and C/T ratios can guide RBC requests in the preoperative period. Knowing the standard of use of blood products and developing protocols enables the optimization of reserves, reduction of costs and improvement of care.

Therapeutic challenges in pregnant women with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare acquired disease, arising from the mutation of clonal hematopoietic stem cells, with an estimated incidence of 1 to 5 cases per million individuals. In pregnant women, adequate information regarding the prevalence of PNH is lacking, and its management has been a challenge because of the significant complications in this group. The condition is diagnosed based on clinical findings and laboratory tests. Eculizumab, the drug of choice for the treatment of PNH, reduces hemolysis and stabilizes hemoglobin levels, thereby decreasing the need for blood transfusions and improving the overall quality of life. CASE PRESENTATION: A 38-year-old woman was diagnosed with PNH in 2007 and eculizumab therapy was initiated at the end of 2014. She became pregnant in September 2015 and presented various decompensations from forced reductions in therapy due to the nonavailability of eculizumab. The pregnancy was interrupted in week 35, but the well-being of the newborn was not compromised. The patient, however, had to remain hospitalized for resolution of acute kidney insufficiency, anemia, and intense hemolysis, which were reverted by means of intravenous hydration, transfusion of 10 packed red blood cell units, and eculizumab therapy. CONCLUSION: The rarity of the disease and the lack of protocols for its management during pregnancy hampered the treatment of the patient. However, the symptoms were progressively treated as they appeared, based on laboratory tests since it was necessary to circumvent and handle the lack of eculizumab which was not readily available in Brazil's Public Health System.