Os autores relatam o caso de uma paciente com tuberculose ganglionar e lesões cutâneas clinicamente sugestivas de tubercúlide pápulo-necrótica, porém com histopatologia compatível com granuloma anular perfurante, e que apresentaram melhora após tratamento para a tuberculose. Trata-se, possivelmente, de um dos primeiros relatos da associação de granuloma anular perfurante com tuberculose, salientando a importância desta entidade no diagnóstico diferencial da tubercúlide pápulo-necrótica e levantando a possibilidade da mesma ser considerada, também, uma variante de tubercúlide.

A case is reported of a patient presenting lymph node tuberculosis and cutaneous lesions resembling papulonecrotic tuberculid, but histologically compatible with perforating granuloma annulare and which responded satisfactorily to antituberculous therapy. This is probably one of the first reports of the association of perforating granuloma annulare and tuberculosis, and it is important therefore to highlight the relevance of this disorder in the differential diagnosis of papulonecrotic tuberculid and to raise the hypothesis that this entity should also be considered to be a variant of tuberculid.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the frequency of coinfections in leprosy patients and whether there is a relationship between the presence of coinfections and the development of leprosy reactional episodes. METHOD: A cross-sectional study based on an analysis of the medical records of the patients who were treated at the Leprosy Clinics of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, was conducted from 2000 to 2010. Information was recorded regarding the age, sex, clinical status, WHO classification, treatment, presence of reactions and coinfections. Focal and systemic infections were diagnosed based on the history, physical examination, and laboratory tests. Multinomial logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations between the leprosy reactions and the patients' gender, age, WHO classification and coinfections. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-five patients were studied. Most of these patients were males (155/225 = 68.8%) of an average age of 49.31±15.92 years, and the most prevalent clinical manifestation was the multibacillary (MB) form (n = 146), followed by the paucibacillary (PB) form (n = 79). Erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) was more prevalent (78/122 = 63.9%) than the reversal reaction (RR) (44/122 = 36.1%), especially in the MB patients (OR 5.07; CI 2.86-8.99; p<0.0001) who exhibited coinfections (OR 2.26; CI 1.56-3.27; p,<0.0001). Eighty-eight (88/225 = 39.1%) patients exhibited coinfections. Oral coinfections were the most prevalent (40/88 = 45.5%), followed by urinary tract infections (17/88 = 19.3%), sinusopathy (6/88 = 6.8%), hepatitis C (6/88 = 6.8%), and hepatitis B (6/88 = 6.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Coinfections may be involved in the development and maintenance of leprosy reactions.

INTRODUÇÃO: Este estudo avaliou se as reações hansênicas podem estar associadas a infecções orais. MÉTODOS: Pacientes com hanseníase (n=38) com (Grupo I) e sem (Grupo II) infecções orais foram selecionados. As reações foram identificadas pelas características clínicas, histopatológicas, associadas a proteína-C-reativa (PCR) e proteína indutora de interferon-gamma de 10kDa (IP-10) séricos determinados antes e após a eliminação dos focos de infecção. RESULTADOS: Grupo I apresentou mais reações que o grupo II, e melhora das reações após o tratamento odontológico. PCR e IP-10 séricos não diferiram antes e após o tratamento odontológico, entretanto diferiram entre os grupos. CONCLUSÕES: As infecções orais podem ser exacerbadores das reações hansênicas.

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated whether leprosy reactions could be associated with oral infection. METHODS: Leprosy patients (n = 38) with (Group I) and without (Group II) oral infections were selected. Reactions were identified from the clinical and histopathological features associated with serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and10kDa interferon-gamma-induced protein (IP-10) levels, determined before and after elimination of the foci of infection. RESULTS: Group I presented more reactions than group II did, and improvement of the reactions after dental treatment. Serum CRP and IP-10 did not differ before and after the dental treatment, but differed between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Oral infection could be an exacerbating factor in leprosy reactions.