Humanistic and Economic Impact of Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis in Brazil.

Introduction: Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, chronic, inflammatory disease, which has a substantial humanistic and economic burden. This study aimed to assess the impact of this disease on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), work productivity, and direct and indirect costs from a societal perspective among Brazilian patients.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional, observational, multicenter study, enrolling patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis according to physician evaluation.

Consensus on the therapeutic management of atopic dermatitis - Brazilian Society of Dermatology.

Background: Atopic dermatitis is a highly prevalent inflammatory and pruritic dermatosis with a multifactorial etiology, which includes skin barrier defects, immune dysfunction, and microbiome alterations. Atopic dermatitis is mediated by genetic, environmental, and psychological factors and requires therapeutic management that covers all the aspects of its complex pathogenesis.

Objectives: The aim of this article is to present the experience, opinions, and recommendations of Brazilian dermatology experts regarding the therapeutic management of atopic dermatitis.

Consensus on the diagnostic and therapeutic management of chronic spontaneous urticaria in adults - Brazilian Society of Dermatology.

Background: Urticarias are frequent diseases, with 15% to 20% of the population presenting at least one acute episode in their lifetime. Urticaria are classified in acute ( ≤ 6 weeks) or chronic (> 6 weeks). They may be induced or spontaneous.

PHACE syndrome: clinical manifestations, diagnostic criteria, and management.

Infantile hemangioma can be linked to other organ malformations. In 1996, PHACE syndrome was first defined as the association of large and segmental infantile hemangioma, usually on the face, head, or cervical region, with malformations of the posterior fossa of the brain, arterial anomalies of the central nervous system, coarctation of the aorta, cardiac defects, and ocular abnormalities. Over 300 cases of PHACE syndrome have been reported, and it is cconsidered one of the most common neurocutaneous vascular disorders in childhood.

Gnathostomiasis: an emerging infectious disease relevant to all dermatologists.

Gnathostomiasis is a parasitic infection caused by the third larval stage of nematodes of the genus Gnathostoma. The disease is endemic in some countries around the world. In the American continent, the majority of cases is concentrated in Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru.

Primary health care as assessed by health professionals: comparison of the traditional model versus the Family Health Strategy.

Introduction: The Family Health Strategy (FHS) should be first-contact care in the Brazilian Health System. However, Primary Health Care (PHC) still encompasses two models: the FHS and the traditional health care facilities. The expansion of the FHS has been slow and heterogeneous in many cities, rendering a comparative evaluation of key quality-related elements of PHC models crucial.

A prospective study of patients with large congenital melanocytic nevi and the risk of melanoma.

Background:: Large congenital melanocytic nevus (LCMN) is considered a risk factor for melanoma, although the magnitude of this risk is controversial.

Objective:: To evaluate the risk of melanoma development in patients with LCMN seen at a dermatology referral center in Brazil during a twelve-year period. To the best of our knowledge, there are no published similar studies on large congenital melanocytic nevus in South America.

What is your diagnosis?

CLOVES syndrome is a rare, newly described, and relatively unknown syndrome, related to somatic mutations of the PIK3CA gene. Clinical findings include adipose tissue overgrowth, vascular malformations, epidermal nevi, scoliosis, and spinal deformities. This report deals with a characteristic phenotype case, highlighting peculiar cutaneous and radiological changes.

Efficacy and safety of a single dose pentamidine (7mg/kg) for patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. guyanensis: a pilot study.

Background: There have been few studies on pentamidine in the Americas; and there is no consensus regarding the dose that should be applied.

Objectives: To evaluate the use of pentamidine in a single dose to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Methods: Clinical trial of phase II pilot study with 20 patients.

Comorbidities and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with psoriasis.

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease and its pathogenesis involves an interaction between genetic, environmental, and immunological factors. Recent studies have suggested that the chronic inflammatory nature of psoriasis may predispose to an association with other inflammatory diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders.

Objectives: To describe the demographic, clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory characteristics of a sample of psoriasis patients; to assess the prevalence of cardiovascular comorbidities in this group of patients; and to identify the cardiovascular risk profile using the Framingham risk score.

Complications of infantile hemangiomas.

Most infantile hemangiomas have a spontaneous and uneventful involution and, hence, may be treated expectantly. Others, however, will present some complication along their evolution that may require prompt therapeutic interventions. Ulceration is the most common complication, and amblyopia is frequently associated with periocular tumors.

Case for diagnosis. Hashimoto-Pritzker disease.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a rare, clinically heterogeneous disease. Since there is considerable clinical overlap among the four described variants (Hand-Schüller-Christian, eosinophilic granuloma, Letterer-Siwe and Hashimoto-Pritzker), the concept of spectral disease applies to this entity. The Hashimoto-Pritzker variant was first described in 1973.

Giant congenital melanocytic nevus.

Giant congenital melanocytic nevus is usually defined as a melanocytic lesion present at birth that will reach a diameter ≥ 20 cm in adulthood. Its incidence is estimated in <1:20,000 newborns. Despite its rarity, this lesion is important because it may associate with severe complications such as malignant melanoma, affect the central nervous system (neurocutaneous melanosis), and have major psychosocial impact on the patient and his family due to its unsightly appearance.

Pyoderma gangrenosum with renal and splenic impairment--case report.

Pyoderma gangrenosum is an uncommon and recurrent neutrophilic dermatosis of unknown cause. The lesions usually start as tender sterile papulopustules or erythematous nodules that undergo necrosis followed by ulceration. The lower limbs are most commonly affected and around half of the cases are associated with systemic disorders.

Epidemiological aspects of melanoma at a university hospital dermatology center over a period of 20 years.

Background: The incidence of melanoma has been steadily rising in past decades. Although it accounts for only 3% of all skin cancers, it is responsible for 75% of deaths.

Objective: to describe the epidemiological aspects of melanoma in a university hospital setting over a period of 20 years.

Hansen's disease: a vanishing disease?

The introduction, implementation, successes and failures of multidrug therapy (MDT) in all Hansen's disease endemic countries are discussed in this paper. The high efficacy of leprosy treatment with MDT and the global reduction of prevalence led the World Health Organization, in 1991, to establish the goal of elimination of Hansen's disease (less than 1 patient per 10,000 inhabitants) to be accomplished by the year 2000. Brazil, Nepal and East Timor are among the few countries that didn't reach the elimination goal by the year 2000 or even 2005.