Cutaneous biopsies (n = 94) obtained from 88 patients with American tegumentary leishmaniasis were studied by conventional and immunohistochemical techniques. Specimens were distributed as active lesions of cutaneous leishmaniasis (n = 53) (Group I), cicatricial lesions of cutaneous leishmaniasis (n = 35) (Group II) and suggestive scars of healed mucosal leishmaniasis patients (n = 6) (Group III). In addition, active cutaneous lesions of other etiology (n = 24) (Group C1) and cutaneous scars not related to leishmaniasis (n = 10) (Group C2) were also included in the protocol. Amastigotes in Group I biopsies were detected by routine histopathological exam (30.2%), imprint (28.2%), culture (43.4%), immunofluorescence (41.4%) and immunoperoxidase (58.5%) techniques; and by the five methods together (79.3%). In Group II, 5.7% of cultures were positive. Leishmanial antigen was also seen in the cytoplasm of macrophages and giant cells (cellular pattern), vessel walls (vascular pattern) and dermal nerves (neural pattern). Positive reaction was detected in 49 (92.5%), 20 (57%) and 4 (67%) biopsies of Groups I, II and III, respectively. Antigen persistency in cicatricial tissue may be related to immunoprotection or, on the contrary, to the development of late lesions. We suggest that the cellular, vascular and neural patterns could be applied in the immunodiagnosis of active and cicatricial lesions in which leishmaniasis is suspected.

Apresentamos o caso de um adolescente de 15 anos de idade com infecção pelo HTLV-1 que desenvolveu linfoma cutâneo de células T, confirmado por exame histopatológico e imunohistoquímico, assim como leucemia, diagnosticada por exame clínico e avaliação de sangue periférico. O paciente morreu 3 meses após o início da doença. A raridade da doença nesta faixa etária justifica o relato de caso.

We present the case of a 15-year-old patient infected with HTLV-1 who developed a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, confirmed by histopathological and immunohistochemical examination, as well as clinically and hematologically confirmed leukemia. The patient died 3 months after initial presentation of the disease. The rarity of the disease in this age group justifies the present report.

During the period from 1987 to 1998, 13 cases of human sporotrichosis were recorded at the Research Center Evandro Chagas Hospital (CPqHEC) in Rio de Janeiro. Two of these patients related scratch by a sick cat. During the subsequent period from July 1998 to July 2000, 66 human, 117 cats and 7 dogs with sporotrichosis were diagnosed at the CPqHEC. Fifty-two humans (78.8%) reported contact with cats with sporotrichosis, and 31 (47%) of them reporting a history of a scratch or bite. This epidemic, unprecedented in the literature, involving cats, dogs and human beings may have started insidiously before 1998.

Após o diagnóstico, em 1992, de 2 pacientes eliminando esporos de microsporídeos, o presente estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de determinar a ocorrência destes organismos em pacientes HIV-positivos com diarréia crônica sem etiologia definida. O grupo estudado era constituído de 13 pacientes acompanhados no Hospital Evandro Chagas, IOC, FIOCRUZ. Amostras fecais de cada paciente foram examinadas pelos métodos de rotina, além de colorações especiais para a pesquisa de Cryptosporidium e de microsporídeos. Esporos de microsporídeos foram observados nas fezes de 6 (46,1%) dos 13 pacientes. Em 2 a confirmação foi feita por biópsia de jejuno, pela observação de formas evolutivas intracelulares do parasito. Os pacientes infectados por microsporídeos apresentaram diarréia crônica com uma média de 6 evacuações diárias, fezes amolecidas ou aquosas, sem leucócitos ou hemácias. Outros sinais e sintomas incluíram dor abdominal difusa, náuseas, vômitos, anorexia e caquexia. Em 5 dos pacientes positivos o tratamento com Metronidazol (1,5 g/dia) foi iniciado. Todos apresentaram melhora das manifestações clínicas, inclusive com ganho ponderal. Entretanto, todos continuaram eliminando esporos de microsporídeos e houve recorrência da diarréia a partir da 4ª semana de tratamento com Metronidazol. Em 2 dos pacientes foi utilizado Albendazol (400 mg/dia / 4 semanas), com aparente melhora clínica. A microsporidiose intestinal parece ser doença terminal, pois dos 6 pacientes positivos estudados, apenas 1 continuava vivo após 6 meses de observação. Os dados obtidos sugerem que estas infecções são importantes entre os pacientes com AIDS também no Brasil, de forma semelhante ao que ocorre em outras partes do mundo.

After the diagnosis of two cases of microsporidial intestinal infection in 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, we have started looking for this parasite in HIV-infected patients with chronic unexplained diarrhea. We have studied 13 patients from Hospital Evandro Chagas, IOC-FIOCRUZ. Fecal specimens from these patients were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidia and Microsporidia, in addition to routine examination. Spores of Microsporidia were found in the stools of 6 (46.1%) of the 13 patients studied, with 2 histological jejunal confirmations. The Microsporidia-infected patients presented chronic diarrhea with about 6 loose to watery bowel movements a day. Five infected patients were treated with Metronidazole (1.5 g/day). They initially showed a good clinical response, but they never stopped eliminating spores. After about the 4th week of therapy, their diarrhea returned. Two patients utilized Albendazole (400 mg/day-4 weeks) with a similar initial improvement and recurrence of the diarrhea. Intestinal Microsporidiosis seems to be a marker of advanced stages of AIDS, since 5 of our 6 infected patients were dead after a 6 month period of follow-up. The present study indicates that intestinal microsporidiosis may be a burgeoning problem in HIV-infected patients with chronic diarrhea in Brazil, which deserves further investigation.