Association between fractures and traditional risk factors for osteoporosis and low bone mineral density in patients with obesity.

Objective: To evaluate the reasons for request of bone mineral density (BMD) evaluation and correlate the BMD results with previous fractures, risk factors for osteoporosis, and clinical characteristics in patients with obesity.

Methods: Cross-sectional, retrospective, single-site study including adult patients with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m and BMD evaluation between January 2015 and May 2016 selected from a BMD database. Data on demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, comorbidities, medications, risk factors, previous fractures, and indications for BMD evaluation were collected from the participants' medical records.

Management of thyroid disorders during the COVID-19 outbreak: a position statement from the Thyroid Department of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (SBEM).

This position statement was prepared to guide endocrinologists on the best approach to managing thyroid disorders during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The most frequent thyroid hormonal findings in patients with COVID-19, particularly in individuals with severe disease, are similar to those present in the non-thyroidal illness syndrome and require no intervention. Subacute thyroiditis has also been reported during COVID-19 infection.

Consensus on the standard terminology used in the nutrition care of adult patients with chronic kidney disease.

This nutrition consensus document is the first to coordinate the efforts of three professional organizations - the Brazilian Association of Nutrition (Asbran), the Brazilian Society of Nephrology (SBN), and the Brazilian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (Braspen/SBNPE) - to select terminology and international standardized tools used in nutrition care. Its purpose is to improve the training delivered to nutritionists working with adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Eleven questions were developed concerning patient screening, care, and nutrition outcome management.

Trends towards lower azole susceptibility among 200 Candida tropicalis bloodstream isolates from Brazilian medical centres.

Objectives: Candida tropicalis is one of the three most frequent species causing candidaemia in Latin America. Despite the high prevalence of C. tropicalis in candidaemia cases in Brazil, little is known about the trends in fluconazole susceptibility over time.

Implications of financial toxicity in the lives of cancer patients: a reflection.

Objective: To reflect on the understanding of financial toxicity, as an adverse event of cancer diagnosis and treatment, and its implications on the quality of life of these patients.

Method: Reflexive study, based on the international literature about the concept of financial toxicity and its relationship with quality of life.

Results: Financial toxicity is related to the financial difficulties associated with cancer and its treatment, which occur in the lives of patients and family members.

Exploring the causes of the high incidence of delayed graft function after kidney transplantation in Brazil: a multicenter study.

This retrospective multicenter (n = 18) cohort study evaluated the incidence, risk factors, and the impact of delayed graft function (DGF) on 1-year kidney transplant (KT) outcomes. Of 3992 deceased donor KT performed in 2014-2015, the incidence of DGF was 54%, ranging from 29.9% to 87.

Usefulness and Potential Pitfalls of Long-Acting Growth Hormone Analogs.

Daily recombinant human GH (rhGH) is currently approved for use in children and adults with GH deficiency (GHD) in many countries with relatively few side-effects. Nevertheless, daily injections can be painful and distressing for some patients, often resulting in non-adherence and reduction of treatment outcomes. This has prompted the development of numerous long-acting GH (LAGH) analogs that allow for decreased injection frequency, ranging from weekly, bi-weekly to monthly.

Validation of Malnutrition Clinical Characteristics in Critically Ill Patients.

Background: This study aimed to validate the Malnutrition Clinical Characteristics (MCC) compared with the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), considering anthropometric measures, comorbidities, and mortality in critically ill patients.

Methods: This longitudinal observational study included patients admitted to the general intensive care unit (ICU) of a public hospital. SGA was used as the reference standard for diagnosing malnutrition.

Obesity as a predictive factor for chronic kidney disease in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the main chronic diseases affecting the world population due to its high prevalence and increasing morbidity. Similarly, obesity gained the interest of the scientific community as it directly or indirectly increases mortality from cardiovascular causes, and its prevalence characterizes a pandemic. The objective of this study was to investigate obesity measured by body mass index as a predictor for end-stage renal disease in the general adult population.

Apocrine hidrocystoma: a slowly growing postauricular translucent nodule.

Apocrine hidrocystoma is a benign, cystic proliferation of the apocrine sweat gland that may present commonly on sun-exposed areas of the head and neck. However, given its location and features, apocrine hidrocystomas may often be confused with malignant tumors such as basal cell carcinomas or primary cutaneous mucinous carcinomas. Herein, we present an unusual case of an apocrine hidrocystoma presenting in the postauricular region and highlight the importance of histopathological examination of cystic tumors on the periauricular area.

Medical therapy in severe hypercortisolism.

Severe hypercortisolism is characterized as a life-threatening endocrine condition in patients with Cushing syndrome, usually related to the concomitant onset of one or more comorbidities, requiring rapid normalization of cortisol concentrations and aggressive treatment of associated complications. It is mainly, but not exclusively, caused by ectopic ACTH syndrome, and the diagnosis of severity is more accurate when is based on simultaneous evaluation of the clinical course and manifestations of the disease, cortisol levels and systematic search of comorbidities. Once the severity and imminent risk to life are established, urgent therapeutic measures must be taken and etiological investigation postponed until the patient is stabilized.

Objective evaluation and predictive value of olfactory dysfunction among patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Objectives: Olfactory dysfunction is a frequent feature of COVID-19. Despite the growing evidence, current knowledge on the subject remains insufficient, so that data obtained with different tools, from multiple centers and in distinct scenarios are welcome. Yet, the predictive value of olfactory dysfunction in terms of the overall prognosis of COVID-19 is unknown.

Prevalence of thyroid cancer in patients with acromegaly and non-growth hormone secreting pituitary adenomas: A prospective cross-sectional study.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) in patients with non-GH secreting pituitary adenomas [NGHPA group: non-functioning (NFPA), prolactin (PRL) and corticotropin (ACTH)-secreting adenomas] compared to patients with acromegaly, a pituitary disease that has been associated with increased risk for thyroid cancer.

Patients And Methods: Prospective, cross-sectional study involving consecutive outpatients followed in our institution with diagnosis of acromegaly (n = 71; 43 women, median age 57 yrs) and NGHPA (n = 57; 38 women, median age 48 yrs.; PRL (n = 35), ACTH (n = 7), NFPA (n = 15).

Somatosensory evoked potentials in Hirayama disease: A Brazilian study.

Background: Hirayama's disease (HD) is characterized by an insidious onset asymmetric weakness and atrophy of the forearm and hand. Taking as a premise, the etiopathogenesis of the disease is attributed to forward displacement of posterior wall of lower cervical dural canal in neck flexion causing marked compression and flattening of lower spinal cord. This may result in compression of the posterior column of the spinal cord and seems likely to result in somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) abnormalities.

PET/CT-Guided Biopsy of Suspected Lung Lesions Requires Less Rebiopsy Than CT-Guided Biopsy Due to Inconclusive Results.

The purpose of this study was to compare F-FDG PET/CT and CT performance in guiding percutaneous biopsies with histologic confirmation of lung lesions. We prospectively evaluated 341 patients, of whom 216 underwent F-FDG PET/CT-guided biopsy and 125 underwent CT-guided biopsy. The pathology results, lesion size, complications, and rebiopsy rate in the 2 groups were evaluated.

Clinical and epidemiological aspects of Candidemia in eight medical centers in the state of Parana, Brazil: Parana Candidemia Network.

Objectives: Candida spp. has been reported as one of the common agents of nosocomial bloodstream infections and is associated with a high mortality. Therefore, this study evaluated the clinical findings, local epidemiology, and microbiological aspects of candidemia in eight tertiary medical centers in the state of Parana, South of Brazil.

Sarcopenia in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of low muscle mass and sarcopenia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) versus paired controls (control group, CG) and the association between sarcopenia and chronic diabetes complications.

Methods: Men and women ≥50 years with T2DM (T2DM group, T2DMG) were recruited during routine outpatient visits. Total body densitometry and handgrip strength (HGS) were evaluated in the T2DMG and CG, while the T2DMG was also evaluated for the physical performance using the gait speed (GS) test.

Safety and immunogenicity of the quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine in patients with juvenile dermatomyositis: a real-world multicentre study.

Background: Concerns about the safety and efficacy of vaccines in patients with autoimmune diseases (AID) have led to contradictions and low vaccination coverage in this population, who are at a higher risk of infections, including by human papillomavirus (HPV). Although HPV vaccines have been recommended for immunocompromised patients, there is still a lack of data to support its use for AID patients, such as juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) patients. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and immunogenicity of the quadrivalent HPV (qHPV) vaccine in a cohort of JDM patients.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in patient admission to a high-complexity cancer center in Southern Brasil.

Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate whether there has been a reduction in patient admission to a high-complexity cancer care center in Brasil during the COVID-19 pandemic, similar to what was reported in Europe.

Methods: We reviewed the cancer tracking database of the largest cancer center in southern Brasil and performed statistical tests to compare first-time appointments from the onset of the outbreak until the end of June to those of the equivalent period in 2019.

Results: We observed a dramatic reduction (-42%) in first-time appointments during the pandemic compared to the same period in the previous year (P <0.

Body composition in nonobese individuals according to vitamin D level.

Obesity is associated with lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels, but the association between 25OHD deficiency and specific body composition (BC) patterns remains unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between 25OHD levels and BC in a population of healthy, nonobese individuals. Cross-sectional, observational study including a convenience sample of community-dwelling healthy individuals aged ≥18 years who responded to a study advertisement and were randomly selected.

Validation and reference values of the EORTC QLQ-CML24 questionnaire to assess health-related quality of life in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) assessment is important to facilitate decisions in the current treatment landscape of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Therefore, the availability of a validated HRQOL questionnaire, specifically developed for CML patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), may enhance quality of research in this area. We performed an international study including 782 CML patients to assess the validity of the EORTC QLQ-CML 24 questionnaire, and to generate HRQOL reference values to facilitate interpretation of results in future studies.