ABSTRACT
The epidemiological, clinical and laboratory features of 13 cases of neuroparacoccidioidomycosis (NPCM) were analysed. All patients were men, with a mean age of 41.6 years. The lungs were involved in 11 cases (84.6%) and only two cases had mycosis limited to the central nervous system. Co-morbidity was observed in four patients (malignant neoplasm in three and diabetes mellitus in one). The most frequent neurological manifestations were paresis (eight cases), headache (five cases) and gait disturbance (four cases). Neuroimaging diagnosis showed a predominance of multiple round lesions with ring enhancement following contrast medium injection. Lesions were seen in the brain hemispheres (nine cases), thalamus (nine cases), cerebellum (four cases), brainstem (four cases) and spinal cord (four cases). Most cases responded well to therapy. Lesions with enhancement following contrast medium injection persisted in four patients for a period of 6 months to 8 years. These findings emphasize the importance of considering NPCM in the differential diagnosis of brain and spinal cord lesions in endemic areas of paracoccidioidomycosis.
Subject(s)
Central Nervous System Fungal Infections/diagnosis , Paracoccidioidomycosis/diagnosis , Adult , Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use , Central Nervous System Fungal Infections/complications , Central Nervous System Fungal Infections/drug therapy , Follow-Up Studies , Gait Disorders, Neurologic/microbiology , Headache/microbiology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Paracoccidioidomycosis/complications , Paracoccidioidomycosis/drug therapy , Paresis/microbiologyABSTRACT
Hepatic manifestations are described as unusual complications of dengue and may lead to severe and potentially lethal conditions. Liver abnormalities in 41 patients diagnosed with dengue hemorrhagic fever in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, between January 1 and March 31, 2002, were evaluated. All were serologically positive for dengue in laboratory tests (IgM ELISA). ALT alterations were observed in 61% (25/41) and AST alterations in 80.5% (33/41), but there were no statistically significant differences between the various clinical forms. The range in ALT levels was 14-547 U/l and in AST levels was 11-298 U/l. Nausea and/or vomiting were reported by 90% (37/41) of the patients; 46.3% (19/41) had abdominal pain and 10% (3/29) presented hepatomegaly at clinical examination. The patients' ages ranged from 18 to 88 years; 23 (56%) were female and 18 (44%) were male.
