BACKGROUND: Pemphigusis a bullous, rare and chronic autoimmune disease. There are two major forms of pemphigus: vulgaris and foliaceus. Epidemiological data and clinical outcome in patients diagnosed in the Brazilian Amazon states are still rare. OBJECTIVES: To study the occurrence of the disease during the study period and analyze the epidemiological profile of patients, the most common subtype of pemphigus, and the clinical evolution of patients. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of medical records of hospitalized patients with pemphigus foliaceus and pemphigus vulgaris in the period from 2003 to 2010 in Dermatology Service of Hospital Fundação Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará, Belém, Northern Brazil. RESULTS: We found a total of 20 cases of pemphigus during the study period, 8 of which were of foliaceus pemphigus and 12 of vulgaris pemphigus. Pemphigus foliaceus had the predominance of male patients (75%), showed satisfactory clinical evolution, and was characterized by absence of pediatric cases. Pemphigus vulgaris affected more women (66.7%), showed mean hospital stay of 1 to 3 months (50%), and there were three cases of death (25%). The prescribed immunosuppressive drugs included prednisone with or without combination of azathioprine and/or dapsone. Sepsis was associated with 100% of the deaths. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of the disease is rare, there are no familiar/endemic outbreaks in the sample. Evolution is usually favorable, but secondary infection is associated with worse prognosis. The choice of best drugs to treat pemphigus remains controversial.

Paracoccidioidomicose expressando-se como placa sarcoídica pode ser confundida com hanseníase, especialmente em zonas endêmicas comuns às duas condições. Apresentamos um paciente brasileiro, com placa ulcerada na orelha direita e em áreas vizinhas que simulava, clinica e histopatologicamente, hanseníase tuberculoide em reação tipo 1. O encontro de granuloma perineural, sem parasitas detectáveis às colorações de rotina e Fite-Faraco, reforçou a hipótese de hanseníase. Apenas com uma nova biópsia, desta vez da área ulcerada, a paracoccidioidomicose pôde ser confirmada.

Paracoccidioidomycosis presenting as a sarcoid-like plaque may be misdiagnosed as leprosy, especially when shared endemic areas are concerned. We report the case of a Brazilian male patient presenting with an ulcerated plaque on his left ear and neighboring areas. The plaque simulated tuberculoid leprosy type 1 reaction, both clinically and histopathologically. A perineural granuloma with no organisms detected by routine and Fite-Faraco staining reinforced that diagnosis. Paracoccidioidomycosis was confirmed only after a second biopsy, taken from the ulcerated area.