Burkitt's lymphoma of the duodenum in a patient with AIDS

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of B-cell type is the second most common neoplasm after Kaposi's sarcoma, among patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Most non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases that are associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome involve extranodal sites, especially the digestive tract and the central nervous system. We report a case of primary lymphoma of the duodenum in a patient with AIDS. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed pseudopolypoid masses found in the second portion of the duodenum. A complete diagnostic study including histological, immunohistochemical and virological analyses showed high-grade B-cell Burkitt's lymphoma. The Epstein-Barr virus genome was detected in biopsies by immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization.

Oral cavity lymphoma as secondary AIDS-defining neoplasm in a patient on HAART with immune reconstitution

Lymphomas of the oral cavity are a rare complication of advanced HIV/AIDS disease. The clinical appearance of these neoplasms includes masses or ulcerative lesions that involve the oral soft tissue and the jaw as the predominant manifestation. We report the case of a patient with AIDS who developed diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of the oral cavity during highly active antiretroviral therapy, with undetectable plasma viral load and immune reconstitution.

Myelopathy and adult T-cell leukemia associated with HTLV-1 in a young patient with hearing loss as the initial manifestation of disease

A young male developed hearing loss, vertigo, headache and facial palsy. Neurological examination did not show any abnormalities. Two years later, cervical lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly and atypical lymphocytes in peripheral blood revealed leukemia. At the same time, acquired ichthyosis was observed. Subsequently, neurological abnormalities revealed myelopathy associated with HTLV-1, due to vertical transmission.

Cutaneous cryptococcosis due to Cryptococcus gattii in a patient on chronic corticotherapy

Cryptococcus gattii causes a form of endemic mycosis that most commonly affects the lungs and central nervous system of immunocompetent patients living in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Case report. A 66-year-old man who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease without HIV infection and had been on systemic corticotherapy for several years developed extensive ulceration of the left forearm that was associated with ipsilateral supraclavicular adenomegaly, consequent to infection with Cryptococcus gattii. The patient was treated with fluconazole 400mg/day for eight months, which led to complete healing of the lesion. This case emphasizes that, although rare, C. gattii may cause opportunistic cutaneous-lymphatic infection in patients living in the southeastern region of Brazil who are immunocompromised through chronic corticotherapy.

Characterization of a new coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species (Staphylococcus pettenkoferi) isolated from blood cultures from a hospitalized patient in Porto Alegre, Brazil

INTRODUCTION: Staphylococcus pettenkoferi was originally isolated and described by Trülzsch et al (2002). In this study, we characterized two isolates of this newly described species. METHODS: Blood cultures were initially processed using the BacT/ALERT® device, and the isolates were initially characterized using the Vitek2 identification system. RESULTS: The initial characterization revealed slow-growing Gram-positive cocci that formed opaque colonies on sheep blood agar. Other phenotypic/genotypic tests were performed. CONCLUSIONS: We would like to emphasize that this new staphylococcus species is phenotypically similar to other CoNS, especially S. auricularis. This could potentially lead to misidentification of these uncommon species.