Spatio-temporal six-year retrospective study on dermatophytosis in Rio de Janeiro, Southeast Brazil: A tropical tourist locality tale.

Trichophyton, Microsporum, Nannizzia and Epidermophyton genera cause dermatophytosis, the most common and highly contagious infectious skin disease. Rio de Janeiro is one of the most visited cities in the Southern Hemisphere, located in the most visited state of Brazil. This retrospective study investigated epidemiological and laboratorial aspects of dermatophytosis in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, by using spatiotemporal analysis. More than half of all individuals were infected by one or more dermatophytes. A variation between 18 and 106 years-old of the studied population was verified, and women more frequently affected. Patients were more frequently infected by Trichophyton spp., most of them T. rubrum, followed by T. mentagrophytes. M. canis and N. gypsea were more frequently isolated in the age group between 40 and 60 years old, while T. rubrum predominates among younger patients. All species presented homogeneous distribution while T. tonsurans appears to be restricted to the Rio de Janeiro capital and E. floccosum to the municipality of Macaé (190 Km apart from RJ). Rio de Janeiro state presented spatial clusters of dermatophytosis with high density in Guanabara Bay (E. floccosum, M. canis, N. gypsea, T. tonsurans) and Niterói (T. rubrum, T. mentagrophytes) but low density in Macaé (E. floccosum). Significant spatiotemporal clusters on dermatophytosis cases were detected in distinct municipalities (p-value ≤ 0.05). The Vulnerability Index (r = 0.293) and Demographic Density (r = 0.652) distributed according to neighborhoods in Niterói were direct related with dermatophytosis cases whereas Income (r = -0.306) was inversely correlated (p-value ≤ 0.05). The dermatophytosis spatiotemporal distinct distribution after two major international events in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, highlight the pressing need for specific measures of its prevention and controlling. This is particularly relevant in touristic tropical localities which must consider both socio-economical and traveler's medicine variables.

Diversity of rhizobia, symbiotic effectiveness, and potential of inoculation in Acacia mearnsii seedling production.

Black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) is a forest species of significant economic importance in southern Brazil; as a legume, it forms symbiotic associations with rhizobia, fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Nonetheless, little is known about native rhizobia in soils where the species is cultivated. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the diversity and symbiotic efficiency of rhizobia nodulating A. mearnsii in commercial planting areas and validate the efficiency of a potential strain in promoting seedling development. To this end, nodules were collected from four A. mearnsii commercial plantations located in Rio Grande do Sul State, southern Brazil. A total of 80 rhizobia isolates were obtained from black wattle nodules, and thirteen clusters were obtained by rep-PCR. Higher genetic diversity was found within the rhizobial populations from the Duas Figueiras (H' = 2.224) and Seival (H' = 2.112) plantations. Twelve isolates were evaluated belonging to the genus Bradyrhizobium, especially to the species Bradyrhizobium guangdongense. The principal component analysis indicated an association between rhizobia diversity and the content of clay, Ca, Mg, and K. Isolates and reference strains (SEMIA 6163 and 6164) induced nodulation and fixed N via symbiosis with black wattle plants after 60 days of germination. The isolates DF2.4, DF2.3, DF3.3, SEMIA 6164, SEMIA 6163, CA4.3, OV3.4, and OV1.4 showed shoot nitrogen accumulation values similar to the N + control treatment. In the second experiment (under nursery conditions), inoculation with the reference strain SEMIA 6164 generally improved the growth of A. mearnsii seedlings, reinforcing its efficiency even under production conditions.

Torsion of Granulosa Cell Tumor of the Ovary in a Preschool Patient: A Rare Cause of Acute Abdomen.

BACKGROUND Granulosa cell tumor of the ovary is very rare in childhood; its most common clinical manifestation is isosexual precocious puberty. Clinical presentation as acute abdomen due to pain and ovarian torsion is rare, but a granulosa cell tumor must be suspected in a patient with this acute presentation and signs of early puberty. Adult-type granulosa cell tumor is an even rarer occurrence in children. CASE REPORT We report a case of torsion of adult-type granulosa cell tumor of the ovary in a 5-year-old patient with acute abdominal pain and ovarian torsion and highlight the importance of histological diagnosis of this tumor for the therapeutic plan and progression of these patients. CONCLUSIONS Precocious puberty, pain, abdominal distension, and an ultrasonography with suspicion of ovarian torsion are warning signs that may indicate the presence of a gonadal stromal tumor in pediatric patients seen at an emergency unit. These patients require long-term follow-up by a pediatrician and gynecologist because of the potential for late recurrence.

Etiologia dos casos de candidíase cutânea atendidos no serviço de micologia da Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brasil / Etiología de casos de candidiasis cutánea atendidos en el servicio de micología de la Universidad Federal Fluminense, Brasil / Etiology of cutaneous candidiasis cases seen at the mycology service of the Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil

Neste trabalho foram estudadas 64 amostras oriundas de 56 pacientes com suspeita clínica de candidíase cutânea, coletadas de novembro de 2008 a agosto de 2009, no serviço de Diagnóstico Micológico Humano e Veterinário do Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico da Universidade Federal Fluminense. Foram isoladas espécies de Candida em 58 amostras de 51 pacientes, trinta e oito mulheres e treze homens, com a seguinte distribuição: 15 C. parapsilosis, 11 C. famata, 9 C. albicans, 7 C. haemulonii, 5 C. ciferrii, 4 C. guilliermondii, 4 C. lipolytica e 3 C . tropicalis. As onicomicoses representaram mais de 75% das manifestações clínicas. Nos casos em que não foi Candida isolada como o agente etiológico, foram identificados dois Cryptococcus laurentii, um Trichosporon mucoides e um Trichosporon asahii. Este trabalho é uma contribuição para o entendimento da etiologia de candidíase cutânea no serviço de Micologia da Universidade Federal Fluminense.

En este trabajo se estudiaron 64 muestras procedentes de 56 pacientes con sospecha clínica de candidiasis cutánea, recolectadas entre noviembre de 2008 a agosto de 2009 en el servicio de Diagnóstico Micológico Humano y Veterinario del Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Instituto Biomédico de la Universidad Federal Fluminense. Se aislaron especies del género Candida en 58 muestras de 51 pacientes, treinta y ocho mujeres y trece hombres, con la siguiente distribución: 15 C. parapsilosis, 11 C. famata, 9 C. albicans, 7 C. haemulonii, 5 C. ciferrii, 4 C. guilliermondii, 4 C. lipolytica y 3 C . tropicalis. Las onicomicosis representaron más del 75% de las manifestaciones clínicas. En los casos donde no se aisló Candida como agente etiológico se identificaron dos Cryptococcus laurentii, un Trichosporon mucoides y un Trichosporon asahii. Este trabajo es una contribución al conocimiento de la etiología de la candidiasis cutánea en el Servicio de Micología de la Universidad Federal Fluminense.

This work corresponds to the study of 64 samples from 56 patients with clinical suspicion of cutaneous candidiasis, collected between November 2008 and August 2009 at the Human and Veterinarian Diagnostic Service of the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology of the Instituto Biomédico of the Universidad Federal Fluminense, Brazil. Candida genus species were isolated in 58 samples from 51 patients (38 women and 13 men), with the following distribution: C. parapsilosis 15, C. famata 11, C. albicans 9, C. haemulonii 7, C. guilliermondii 4, C. ciferrii 5, C. lipolytica 4, and C. tropicalis 3. Onicomycoses represented over 75% of the clinical manifestations. In cases where Candida was not isolated as etiologic agent, two Cryptococcus laurentii, one Trichosporum mucoides, and one Trichosporum asahii were identified. This work is a contribution to the knowledge of the etiology of cutaneous candidiasis at the Mycology Service of the Universidade Federal Fluminense.

[Melanonychia: The purpose of a case of ungual mycotization mimicking melanoma]. / Melanoníquia: A propósito de um caso de micotização ungueal simulando melanoma.

INTRODUCTION: Phialophora sp. dematiaceous fungus frequently isolated from soil and organic debris from animals and plants. There have been no reports of nail involvement caused by this fungus. We report the case of a 77-year-old male with blackish-brown pigmentation involving a single finger for one year. The identification of the fungus was determined by macromorphological and micromorphological study of the colony and we discuss the clinical, microbiological, differential diagnosis, and treatment. COMMENT: We describe the first case of nail infection caused by Phialophora sp.

[Non-dermatophytic moulds: onychomycosis in four patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus]. / Hongos filamentosos no dermatofitos: onicomicosis en cuatro pacientes infectados con el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana.

Patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are a risk group for onychomycosis, fungal infections caused mainly by dermatophytes and yeast. However, non-dermatohytic moulds are becoming common agents for nail infections in this population of patients. We report four cases of onychomycosis caused by non-dermatophytic moulds (Aspergillus niger, Scytalidium hyalinum, Scytalidium dimidiatum and Fusarium solani) in patients infected with HIV from Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Onychomicosis by non-dermatophytic species in HIV-positive patients requires special attention in the clinical and the laboratory. A proper diagnosis is necessary to establish the specific and adequate treatment, preventing fungal invasion.

Hongos filamentosos no dermatofitos: onicomicosis en cuatro pacientes infectados con el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana / Non-dermatophytic moulds: onychomychosis in four patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus

La infección causada por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) es unfactor de riesgo para el desarrollo de las onicomicosis, infecciones micóticascausadas principalmente por dermatofitos y levaduras. Los hongos filamentososno dermatofitos están emergiendo como agentes de lesiones ungueales eninmunodeprimidos. Presentamos cuatro casos de onicomicosis por hongosfilamentosos no dermatofitos (Aspergillus niger, Scytalidium hyalinum,Scytalidium dimidiatum y Fusarium solani) en pacientes portadores del VIH,residentes en la ciudad de Recife, Pernambuco - Brasil. Las onicomicosis porespecies no dermatofíticas en pacientes VIH-positivos requieren mayor atenciónen relación a los aspectos clínicos y de laboratorio con la finalidad deestablecer el diagnóstico etiológico correcto e indicar el tratamiento específico yadecuado, previniendo invasiones por hongos en otros sitios(AU)

Patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are a risk group foronychomycosis, fungal infections caused mainly by dermatophytes and yeast.However, non-dermatohytic moulds are becoming common agents for nailinfections in this population of patients. We report four cases of onychomycosiscaused by non-dermatophytic moulds (Aspergillus niger, Scytalidium hyalinum,Scytalidium dimidiatum and Fusarium solani) in patients infected with HIV fromRecife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Onychomicosis by non-dermatophytic species inHIV-positive patients requires special attention in the clinical and the laboratory.A proper diagnosis is necessary to establish the specific and adequatetreatment, preventing fungal invasion(AU)