Abstract: Melanoma Guidelines of the Brazilian Dermatology Society recommend histologic review by pathologists trained in melanocytic lesions whenever possible. Out of 145 melanoma cases identified at a private clinic in São Paulo/Brazil, 31 that had been submited to histologic review were studied to evaluate whether revision had led to change in therapeutic approach.. Differences in original/reviewed reports were found in 58.1% (n=18) of the reports, leading to changes in therapeutic approach in 41.9% (n=13). Change in diagnosis was observed in 6 out of 31 (19,3%) cases. These findings suggest that second opinion by pathologists trained in melanocytic lesions is likely to show significant differences from the original report.

Abstract The last Brazilian guidelines on melanoma were published in 2002. Development in diagnosis and treatment made updating necessary. The coordinators elaborated ten clinical questions, based on PICO system. A Medline search, according to specific MeSH terms for each of the 10 questions was performed and articles selected were classified from A to D according to level of scientific evidence. Based on the results, recommendations were defined and classified according to scientific strength. The present Guidelines were divided in two parts for editorial and publication reasons. In this second part, the following clinical questions were answered: 1) which patients with primary cutaneous melanoma benefit from sentinel lymph node biopsy? 2) Follow-up with body mapping is indicated for which patients? 3) Is preventive excision of acral nevi beneficious to patients? 4) Is preventive excision of giant congenital nevi beneficious to patients? 5) How should stages 0 and I primary cutaneous melanoma patients be followed?

Abstract: The last Brazilian guidelines on melanoma were published in 2002. Development in diagnosis and treatment made updating necessary. The coordinators elaborated ten clinical questions, based on PICO system. A Medline search, according to specific MeSH terms for each of the 10 questions was performed and articles selected were classified from A to D according to level of scientific evidence. Based on the results, recommendations were defined and classified according to scientific strength. The present Guidelines were divided in two parts for editorial and publication reasons. In the first part, the following clinical questions were answered: 1) The use of dermoscopy for diagnosis of primary cutaneous melanoma brings benefits for patients when compared with clinical examination? 2) Does dermoscopy favor diagnosis of nail apparatus melanoma? 3) Is there a prognostic difference when incisional or excisional biopsies are used? 4) Does revision by a pathologist trained in melanoma contribute to diagnosis and treatment of primary cutaneous melanoma? What margins should be used to treat lentigo maligna melanoma and melanoma in situ?

Taxanos são drogas quimioterápicas cada vez mais utilizadas no tratamento adjuvante de um grande número de cânceres, principalmente câncer de mama e de pulmão. Os efeitos colaterais não cutâneos mais importantes e limitantes do uso destas drogas são neutropenia e mucosite. Os efeitos colaterais cutäneos, além de muito frequente, interfere de forma importante na qualidade de vida dos doentes. Não existem tratamentos totalmente eficazes, mas algumas orientações podem diminuir os sintomas e prevenir recidivas em novas sessões de quimioterapia

Chemotherapy with taxanes has recently become part of the treatment for many advanced neoplastic diseases, specially breast and lung cancer. Their main noncutaneous adverse reactions include neutropenia and mucositis, which eventually lead to drug discontinuation. Cutaneous adverse reactions are frequent and significantly interfere with the patient's quality of life. Treatments are poorly effective, but special recommendations may improve symptoms and prevent relapses requiring drug rechallenge

FUNDAMENTOS: O carcinoma basocelular é tumor constituído por diferentes tipos histológicos, que demonstram diversificado potencial de agressividade. Sabe-se que a correlação entre os tipos histológicos de carcinoma basocelular encontrados no material de biópsia pré-operatória e no material da peça cirúrgica excisional não é total. Na literatura essa correlação varia de 42,7 a 80%. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a correlação entre os tipos histológicos de carcinoma basocelular nas biópsias incisionais e respectivas peças cirúrgicas excisionais. MÉTODOS: Análise retrospectiva de 70 casos de carcinoma basocelular primário submetidos a biópsia pré-operatória e cirurgia excisional. A avaliação histológica foi feita de modo padronizado, determinando tanto o tipo histológico predominante quanto os tipos histológicos acessórios encontrados no material das biópsias préoperatórias e nas peças cirúrgicas excisionais. RESULTADOS: Houve 78,3% de correlação entre tipo histológico predominante da biópsia e peça cirúrgica e 87% de correlação entre tipo histológico predominante e/ou tipo histológico acessório da biópsia e tipo histológico predominante da peça cirúrgica. CONCLUSÃO: A biópsia pré-operatória é útil para predizer o tipo histológico predominante de carcinoma basocelular da peça cirúrgica excisional na maioria dos casos. No entanto, é importante ressaltar que, quando descrito apenas o tipo histológico predominante encontrado na biópsia, ocorre 21,7% de falha no diagnóstico.

BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma is a tumor with many histologic types, each one with different aggressiveness potential. The known correlation between histologic types found in preoperative biopsy samples and excisional specimens is not absolute. Correspondence rates vary from 42.7 to 80.0% in medical literature. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation between histologic types of basal cell carcinoma in preoperative biopsies and their respective excised surgical specimens. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 70 primary basal cell carcinoma cases submitted to preoperative biopsies and excisional surgery. The histologic evaluation was performed according to standard practice determining both the predominant and secondary histologic types found in preoperative biopsy materials and surgically excised specimens. RESULTS: There was a 78.3% correlation rate between the predominant histologic type of the biopsy and the surgical specimen, and an 87% correspondence between the predominant histologic type and/or secondary histologic type of the biopsy and/or predominant histologic type of the surgical specimen. CONCLUSION: The preoperative biopsy is useful for predicting the predominant basal cell carcinoma histologic type of the surgical excisional specimen in most cases. Nevertheless, when only the predominant histologic type found in biopsy is described, there is a 21.7% failure rate in diagnosis. When both predominant histologic types and secondary histologic types found in the biopsy are described, diagnostic failure drops to 13%.

A variante pigmentada da doença de Paget mamária é rara, com cerca de 12 casos relatados, e pode mimetizar clínica e histologicamente o melanoma. Como na forma clássica, em geral associa-se à neoplasia da mama acometida, com origem principalmente no carcinoma intraductal que se estende à epiderme através de ducto lactóforo. A fisiopatologia da hiperpigmentação permanece desconhecida. Relata-se o caso de paciente de 49 anos que apresentou lesão pigmentada do mamilo, suspeita de melanoma. O exame histológico não foi suficiente para confirmar o diagnóstico, sendo necessária realização de perfil imuno-histoquímico. Apesar de incomum, o diagnóstico de doença de Paget deve ser lembrado como diferencial de melanoma em lesões pigmentadas dessa região, em ambos os sexos.

Pigmented mammary Paget's disease is a rare dermatosis, with approximately 12 reported cases in the literature, which can mimic cutaneous melanoma both clinically and histologically. As for classical mammary Paget's disease, the pigmented variant is associated with neoplasia of the breast, originating mainly from intraductal mammary carcinoma that extends to the epidermis of the nipple and areola through a lactiferous duct. Physiopathology of hyperpigmentation remains unknown. We present a 49-year-old female patient who presented with a pigmented lesion of the nipple suspected of melanoma. Histological examination was not sufficient to confirm diagnosis. Immunohistochemical examination confirmed the diagnosis of Paget's disease. Although uncommon, pigmented Paget's disease must be reminded as a differential diagnosis of melanoma in pigmented lesions of the nipple, in both genders.

O presente trabalho registra caso de histoplasmose em paciente de 5 anos, HIV negativo, natural e procedente da cidade de São Paulo, com lesões cutâneas não diagnosticadas clinicamente. Exame histopatológico negativo para infecção fúngica. Cultivos em duas ocasiões, positivos para Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum (amostras 361 e 387). Sorologia negativa para anticorpos anti-Histoplasma capsulatum e Paracoccidioides brasiliensis pelas provas de Imunodifusão dupla e Contraimunoeletroforese. Ensaio imunoenzimático pesquisando o antígeno polissacarídico específico, negativo. A obtenção do exoantígeno de uma das amostras permitiu, através de provas de Imunodifusão, com soro de coelho anti-Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum, detectar duas bandas de precipitação. Registre-se a negatividade da reação de Imunodifusão dupla do soro do paciente face ao exoantígeno produzido com a amostra dele isolada. Através da reação de Immunoblotting foi identificada uma fração com peso molecular de aproximadamente 94 kDa, além de outras. Os dois cultivos foram enviados ao Prof. Leo Kaufman, CDC, Atlanta, USA, o qual identificou as duas amostras como Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum, através de provas de Imunodifusão dupla com os respectivos exoantígenos e sonda específica do fungo (DNA-probe). As colorações específicas para fungos, nos tecidos, foram negativas, incluindo prova de Imunoperoxidase para Histoplasma capsulatum var.capsulatum, a negatividade das provas sorológicas para histoplasmose clássica e o próprio aspecto clínico das lesões cutâneas eritêmato-violáceas infiltradas, mostram que o caso em apreço é realmente inusitado, correspondendo o cultivo a uma "variante aberrante" do Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum. Face ao diagnóstico micológico de histoplasmose clássica, o paciente foi tratado com itraconazol 100 mg/dia, durante três meses, com regressão total das lesões.

A case of atypical disseminated cutaneous histoplasmosis in a five-year old, otherwise healthy child, native and resident in São Paulo metropolitan area is reported. Cutaneous lesions were clinically atypical. Histologic examination disclosed a granulomatous reaction but no fungal structures could be demonstrated by specific staining nor by immunohistochemical reaction. The fungus was isolated from biopsy material on two different occasions, confirming diagnosis of an unusual fungal infection. The fungus, originally thought to be a Sepedonium sp. due to the large sized, hyaline or brownish colored tuberculated macroconidia and to lack of dimorphism (yeast form at 37 °C) produce H and M antigens, visualized by the immunodiffusion with rabbit anti-Histoplasma capsulatum hyperimmune serum. Patient’s serum sample was non reactive with H. capsulatum antigen by immunodiffusion, counterimmunoelectrophoresis and complement fixation tests, and immunoenzymatic assay failed to detect the specific circulating antigen. This serum was tested negative by double immunodiffusion when antigen obtained from one of the isolated samples was used. Both cultures were sent to Dr. Leo Kaufman, Ph.D. (Mycoses Immunodiagnostic Laboratory, CDC-Atlanta/USA), who identified them as H. capsulatum by the exoantigen and gen-probe tests. Both clinic and mycologic characteristics of the present case were atypical, suggesting the fungus isolated is an “aberrant variant” of H. capsulatum var. capsulatum, as described by SUTTON et al. in 199719. Treatment with itraconazole 100 mg/day led to cure within 90 days

É descrito um caso de entomoftoromicose rinofacial por Conidiobolus coronatus, em paciente procedente de São Paulo (Capital), tratado com sucesso pelo fluconazol, por via oral, através terapêutica prolongada. Dados histopatológicos e micológicos confirmaram o diagnóstico.

A case of rhinofacial entomophthoromycosis caused by Conidiobolus coronatus is reported in a 30 years old male from São Paulo, Brazil. The patient was successfully treated with oral fluconazole in a prolonged regimen. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological and mycological data.