Evaluation of ocular involvement in patients with Hansen's disease.

Hansen's disease (HD) belongs to the group of neglected diseases and can cause physical deformities and disabilities, in addition to leading to social discrimination. Ocular involvement in HD is estimated at 70-75% worldwide. About 10-50% suffer from severe ocular symptoms and loss of vision occurs in approximately 5% of cases.

Development and validation of an instrument to assess the knowledge of general practitioners and pediatricians about photoprotection and solar radiation.

Background: The knowledge of general practitioners about photoprotection is unknown.

Objectives: To develop and validate an instrument to evaluate the knowledge of general practitioners and pediatricians about photoprotection, gauging the knowledge of these professionals.

Methods: The study followed the steps: (1) Literature identification and item elaboration related to the theme; (2) Content validation; (3) Apparent validation; (4) Construct validation: internal consistency analysis and discriminatory analysis; (5) Reliability analysis.

Recurrence rate of basal cell carcinoma in patients submitted to skin flaps or grafts.

Background: Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer. Although the literature provides a great deal of information on the recurrences of basal cell carcinoma, studies about these indices addressing only the cases in which flaps and/or grafts have been performed for surgical reconstruction of the excision of this tumor are still lacking.

Objectives: To evaluate rates of recurrence of basal cell carcinoma submitted to conventional surgery with pre-established margins and reconstruction by flaps or grafts.

Herpes simplex virus: isolation, cytopathological characterization and antiviral sensitivity.

Background: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is an endemic disease and it is estimated that 6095% of the adult population are infected with symptoms that are usually self-limiting, though they can be serious, extensive and prolonged in immunocompromised individuals, highlighted by the emergence of drug-resistant strains. The study of the wild-type HSV strains based on the cytopathogenic features and its antiviral sensitivity are important in the establishment of an antivirogram for controlling the infection.

Objective: This study sought to isolate and examine the cytopathological characteristics of circulating strains of the Herpes simplex virus, from clinical specimens and their sensitivity to commercially available antiherpesvirus drugs, acyclovir, phosphonophormic acid and trifluridine.

American cutaneous leishmaniasis: epidemiological profile of patients treated in Londrina from 1998 to 2009.

Background: American cutaneous leishmaniasis is a dermatozoonosis of compulsory notification with relevant morbidity. The disease is considered endemic in northern Paraná.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical, laboratory and epidemiological aspects of patients with American cutaneous leishmaniasis treated at Clinics Hospital, State University of Londrina, Brazil (Paraná).

Case for diagnosis. Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus.

Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus (Ilven) is a rare variant of epidermal verrucous nevus that commonly affects females. Clinically is characterized by the appearance, since birth, of recurrent inflammatory phenomena with chronic eczematous or psoriasiform aspects, usually unilateral, with severe pruritus, and refractory to therapy.

Keratoacanthoma in a tattoo.

Several malignant lesions have been reported in association with tattoos, including basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas and melanoma. We report a keratoacanthoma arising in a recent tattoo. A 60-year-old woman presented with a tumor on her right leg, over an area of red pigment in a professional tattoo.

Melanoma in a long-standing lesion of chromoblastomycosis.

Background: Chromoblastomycosis is a chronic cutaneous fungal infection where the presence of fibrous scars and continuous inflammation might be the propitious condition for the development of malignant neoplasms.

Methods: We report a case of cutaneous melanoma arising on a leg of a man that had been affected by extensive chromoblastomycosis for more than 30 years.

Results: A 70-year-old white man presented with an irregularly pigmented lesion over an area of fibrosis and verrucous lesions, previously diagnosed as chromoblastomycosis, on his left ankle.