Flávia de Freire Cassia

Psoriasis vulgaris and human leukocyte antigens.

Background  Psoriasis vulgaris is a skin disease with a complex immunological and genetic background, triggered by environmental factors. The association of human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and psoriasis has long been reported on population and familial studies.

Clinical and immunohistochemical assessment of the effect of cyclosporin in keratinocytes and dermal dendrocytes in psoriasis.

Background:  Cyclosporine is a potent immunosupressor, which induces cytokeratin expression pattern changes and dermal dendrocytes number increase.

Methotrexate and liver function: a study of 13 psoriasis cases treated with different cumulative dosages

Background  The need and frequency of hepatic biopsies during methotrexate (MTX) therapy are still controversial.

The importance of direct immunofluorescence in pemphigus herpetiformis diagnosis

Pemphigus herpetiformis is an autoimmune bullous disease, that combines clinical features of dermatitis herpetiformis and linear IgA bullous dermatosis and immunological characteristics of pemphigus, which makes this disease peculiar and this diagnosis rarely suspected in the first evaluation of the patient. The reported case is of a patient with clinically bullous disease similar to dermatitis herpetiformis, whose multiple biopsies were inconclusive, and only after direct immunofluorescence with a pemphigus pattern (intraepidermal intercellular pattern) the confirmation of the diagnosis was possible.

Human leucocyte antigen frequency in a miscegenated population presenting with seborrhoeic dermatitis

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Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia versus Kimura's disease: a case report and a clinical and histopathological comparison

Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia is a rare and benign vascular tumor whose etiology remains uncertain. It clinically presents itself by angiomatous papules or nodules located on the head and neck. Many controversies in the literature are found in relation to angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia and Kimuras disease - its main differential diagnosis - due to their clinical and histopathological similarities. However, currently, most studies agree that they are distinct diseases. The present case illustrates a characteristic description of angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia and also highlights the main differences with Kimuras disease.

Evaluation of treatment with carboxymethylcellulose on chronic venous ulcers

BACKGROUND: Among the chronic leg ulcers, venous ulcers are the most common and constitute a major burden to public health. Despite all technology available, some patients do not respond to established treatments. In our study, carboxymethylcellulose was tested in the treatment of refractory chronic venous ulcers. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of carboxymethylcellulose 20% on the healing of chronic venous ulcers refractory to conventional treatments. METHODS: This is an analytical, pre-experimental study. Thirty patients were included with refractory venous ulcers, and applied dressings with carboxymethylcellulose 20% for 20 weeks. The analysis was based on measurement of the area of ulcers, performed at the first visit and after the end of the treatment. RESULTS: There was a reduction of 3.9 cm2 of lesion area (p=0.0001), corresponding to 38.8% (p=0.0001). There was no interruption of treatment and no increase in lesion area in any patient. CONCLUSIONS: Carboxymethylcellulose 20% represents a low cost and effective therapeutic alternative for the treatment of refractory chronic venous ulcers. However, controlled studies are necessary to prove its efficacy.