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Artrite como manifestação isolada de paracoccidioidomicose, tem sido raramente descrita na literatura médica. O presente relato, descreve mulher de 46 anos de idade, com monoartrite crônica do joelho em tratamento com anti-inflamatórios não hormonais durante 4 anos, cujo diagnóstico definitivo foi obtido apenas por biópsia da membrana sinovial, que revelou uma inflamação crônica granulomatosa de tipo tuberculóide, com abundantes elementos leveduriformes do Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. A terapêutica específica (iniciada com ketoconazol e seguida por cotrimoxazol) levou à completa recuperação funcional da articulação acometida. Não se detectou a presença de outros sítios acometidos pela doença, apesar da utilização de vários métodos propedêuticos, incluindo tomografia axial computadorizada do tórax e abdome. Os autores chamam a atenção para a raridade do caso e discutem os possíveis fenômenos fisiopatológicos responsáveis por esta monoartrite fúngica.

Osteoarthritis in paracoccidioidomycosis has been rarely reported. The present case describes a 36-[quot ]year[quot ]-old woman, with chronic monoarthritis in the knee lasting 4 years. The diagnosis was achieved only after synovial biopsy, by anatomopathological examination showing granulomatous reaction with a large number of the characteristic [quot ]pilot wheel[quot ]Paracoccidioides brasiliensis yeast cells. Specific therapy, initially with ketoconazole and followed by cotrimoxazole led to complete functional recovery of the compromised joint. No other affected site was detected by various propaedeutic methods, including computed axial tomography of the thorax and abdomen. The authors emphasize the rarity of the case and discuss its possible pathophysiology.

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Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is one of the main causes of death in adults worldwide. More commonly than in the general population, in patients with AIDS there is substantial disagreement between causes of death which are clinically suspected and those established by postmortem examination. The findings of 52 postmortem examinations were compared to the premortem (clinical) diagnoses, and there was 46% agreement between them. Fifty two percent of the patients had more than one postmortem diagnosis, and 48% had at least one AIDS-related disease not suspected clinically. Cytomegalovirus infection was the commonest (30.7%) autopsy finding, but not a single case had been suspected premortem. Bacterial infection, tuberculosis, and histoplasmosis were also common, sometimes not previously suspected, postmortem findings. This study shows that multiple infections occur simultaneously in AIDS patients, and that many among them are never suspected before the postmortem examination. These findings suggest that an aggressive investigation of infections and cancers should be done in patients with AIDS, particularly in those who do not respond to therapy of an already recognized condition.

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The diagnosis of histoplasmosis was made by isolation of Histoplasma capsulatum from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood and bone marrow or by histopathologic (biopsy or post mortem) examination. The mean age of the patients was 35.8 years; 13 patients were male (72.2%). The disease was disseminated, with the following distribution:skin (38.8%), bone marrow (27.7%), nasopharyngeal mucosa (22.2%), lungs (22.2%), colon (11.1%), central nervous system (5.5%) and esophagus (5.5%). Adenomegaly (50%), hepatomegaly (77.7%) and splenomegaly (61.1%) were frequently seen. The most common hematologic abnormality was pancytopenia (33.3%) of the patients. Eleven patients were treated, 9 with amphotericin B and 2 with itraconazole. Eight had good clinical improvement and all of them were given amphotericin B or a triazolic as maintenance therapy. This study emphasize the importance of this mycosis in immunodepressed patients, specially AIDS patients, in whom the infection tends to invade the macrophagic-lymphoid system and preferentially the cutaneous tegument.

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Three new cases of reactivation of Chagas' disease in patients with AIDS, with central nervous system and/or cardiac involvement, are reported. One patient had histological evidence of acute esophageal and gastric Trypanosoma cruzi myositis, a previously unrecognized finding in patients with reactivated Chagas' disease. The patients had a low CD4 lymphocyte count and had other AIDS-defining opportunistic infections. One patient's condition improved with benznidazole therapy. Analysis of these three cases and review of the 13 others published in the literature revealed that the central nervous system is the most commonly involved site (75%), followed by the heart (44%). Early diagnosis and treatment with benznidazole or nifurtimox probably improve the survival rate. Long-term secondary prophylaxis should be recommended for patients who respond to therapy, although it is uncertain which drug to use for this purpose. T. cruzi should be included in the list of opportunistic pathogens causing infection in severely immunocompromised patients with AIDS.

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Osteoarthritis in paracoccidioidomycosis has been rarely reported. The present case describes a 36-"year"-old woman, with chronic monoarthritis in the knee lasting 4 years. The diagnosis was achieved only after synovial biopsy, by anatomopathological examination showing granulomatous reaction with a large number of the characteristic "pilot wheel"Paracoccidioides brasiliensis yeast cells. Specific therapy, initially with ketoconazole and followed by cotrimoxazole led to complete functional recovery of the compromised joint. No other affected site was detected by various propaedeutic methods, including computed axial tomography of the thorax and abdomen. The authors emphasize the rarity of the case and discuss its possible pathophysiology.

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Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is frequently seen in AIDS patients usually affecting the central nervous system (CNS), especially the leptomeninges and the cerebral hemispheres. The epidural involvement is rarely described, ranging from 3.5% to 8.3% among the CNS sites. The authors present a case of disseminated non Hodgkin lymphoma associated to vacuolar myelopathy in a 27 years-old male patient with AIDS emphasizing the importance of this differential diagnosis in the myelopathies of AIDS.

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We describe a case of a patient presenting tetanus after mastectomy with postoperative complications. Risk factors and prophylaxis of this disease after surgery are discussed, emphasizing the need for vaccine protection and evaluation of all patients before any kind of surgical procedure.

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