RESUMO
Esophageal malignancy encompasses a group of diseases that are mostly represented by the squamous cell carcinoma and the adenocarcinoma. Quite frequently, these neoplasms present aggressive behavior; therefore, the diagnosis is often made when the condition is in advanced stages. Dysphagia is the typical clinical complaint, although it is present only when most of the lumen is obstructed. Therefore, quite often, the metastatic disease is first diagnosed, which contributes to the patient's poor survival expectancy. The authors report the case of a 58-year-old man who looked for medical care complaining of a long-term history of scapular pain. The diagnostic work-up disclosed a cervical spine lytic lesion surrounded by a tumoral mass shown by computed tomography. The cervical tumor was sampled by fine needle aspiration, revealing an undifferentiated carcinoma. The outcome was unfavorable and the patient died. The autopsy findings revealed metastatic disease to the spine and central nervous system, and the primary tumor was found to be an esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, which had progressed without typical dysphagia.
RESUMO
A citologia anal vem sendo usada para rastreamento do carcinoma anal e suas lesões precursoras nas populações de risco. Quando o raspado do canal anal mostra alterações citológicas está indicada o exame com colposcópio e ácido acético para identificar e realizar biópsia para confirmar o achado. Poucos estudos mostram o seguimento dos doentes tratados de condilomas acuminados perianais. Temos usado os métodos em associação e encontrado lesões subclínicas em metade dos doentes, cujo exame proctológico não revelava doença HPV induzida. Essas lesões são tratadas com tópicos. Entretanto, algumas citologias estavam alteradas e a colposcopia anal não revelou doença HPV induzida. O objetivo deste estudo foi observar o comportamento dessas lesões no seguimento semestral, durante 12 meses, e avaliar se a periodicidade da reavaliação foi suficiente para evitar o aparecimento das lesões de alto grau ou superior. Encontramos 58 (21 por cento) entre 273 doentes nessas condições. As reavaliações de 22 deles após um ano mostraram que as colposcopias permaneceram normais em 17 (74 por cento), sendo que em cinco (22 por cento) a citologia voltou aos padrões normais e 12 (52 por cento) persistiram com alterações. Os outros seis (26 por cento) desenvolveram lesões clínicas ou subclínicas provocadas pelo HPV. As contagens de linfócitos T CD4 dos doentes HIV-positivos foram inferiores nos doentes cujas lesões progrediram. Os resultados permitiram concluir que as alterações podem progredir ou regredir neste grupo distinto de doentes, sendo relacionada à imunidade, e que o intervalo de seis meses é suficiente para cada reavaliação.
Anal cytology has been used for screening the anal carcinoma and its precursors in risk populations. When anal canal smear shows cytological alterations, examination with colposcope and acetic acid is indicated to identify and perform biopsy to confirm the finding. Few studies show the follow-up of patients treated with anal HPV induced lesions. We are using both methods in association and subclinical lesions have been found in 50 percent of patients, whose proctological examinations are free from HPV lesions. However, some smears have cytological alterations, despite anal colposcopy being normal. The aim of this study was to observe these lesions' behavior in a six-month follow-up, during a year, and to assess whether this periodicity of re-evaluations was enough to avoid high grade or superior lesions. We have found 58 (21 percent) among 273 patients with these parameters. One year re-evaluations of 22 of the patients showed that anal colposcopies remained normal in 17 (74 percent). In five (22 percent), the cytology returned to normality and in 12 (52 percent), the same abnormality was seen. The other six patients (26 percent) developed clinical or subclinical HPV induced lesions. T CD4+ lymphocytes counts of HIV-positive patients were inferior in those whose lesions progressed. These results permitted us to conclude that cytological alterations can progress or clear in these patients, and they have close relationship with the immunity, and the six-month interval is enough to each re-evaluation.