Review Article White Piedra: Review of 131 cases.

This study analyzes the clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with White Piedra through a systematic review of cases in the literature. A sample of 131 subjects was considered, of which 91.6% were female and most were 18 years of age or younger. Most studies were conducted in Brazil, followed by India, and Mexico. The most common etiologic agent found was Trichosporon spp (34.3%). Most affected patients were asymptomatic (94.6%) and predisposing factors included long hair, use of a hair band or hair accessories, and wet hair. The most common clinical feature was the presence of nodules. The evaluation of treatment effectiveness was hindered by the scarcity of follow-up information in the majority of the studies. It is concluded that White Piedra infection is more common in young women and is associated with hair-related factors.

Factors Associated with Candidiasis in Pemphigus Vulgaris Patients: Results from a Retrospective Study in Two Second-Care Level Hospitals in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV). One of the most common infections in these patients is candidiasis. This is probably due to the use of systemic immunosuppressants, including oral and intravenous corticosteroids, mainly in megadoses (pulse therapy), although it is unknown if there are other associated factors, in addition to immunosuppressive treatment. We determine the factors associated with candidiasis in PV patients in two second-care level hospitals in Mexico. METHODS: We reviewed 100 cases with PV. Cases were randomly selected from the databases of two second-care level hospitals between January 2010 and December 2019 (10 years). The primary endpoint was the incidence of candidiasis in patients with PV. RESULTS: One hundred patients with PV were enrolled in this retrospective study. Candidiasis was observed in 79 patients (79%). A maximum corticosteroid dose of 55 mg/day during the last year (p = 0.001) and a higher neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio were associated with candidiasis in patients with PV (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Risk factors favoring candidiasis in patients with PV are not only related to the use of corticosteroids, but also to demographic factors, the activity of the disease, and the systemic inflammation associated with autoimmunity.

Recalcitrant primary cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease. Efficacy of sirolimus and intralesional methylprednisolone.

Sinus histiocytosis or Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare disorder with severe lymphadenopathy and a limited clinical course, the aetiology of which is still controversial. The disease usually affects cervical nodes, with fever, polyclonal gammopathy, and leucocytosis with neutrophilia. Pure cutaneous involvement occurs as the only manifestation in only 3% of cases. Cutaneous RDD is often associated with infections, immunodeficiency, and autoimmune disorders. A 52-year-old patient presented with disseminated, recurrent, and relapsed pure cutaneous RDD that responded well to treatment with sirolimus and local infiltrations of methylprednisolone. The patient had multiple nonpainful nodular and tumour-like lesions, histiocytic infiltrates with emperipolesis were observed on histologic examination, and positive immunohistochemistry for CD68, and S100. There is no standardised treatment, then the patient was treated with various therapies, including systemic steroids, chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), radiotherapy, and other immunosuppressive treatments. Some lesions were treated surgically, resulting in recurrence. Sirolimus and local infiltration with methylprednisolone were tried as salvage treatments, the patient responded well, reducing the incidence of new lesions during follow-up, and the size of the preexisting lesions.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Coccidioidomycosis and Paracoccidioidomycosis.

Coccidioidomycosis (CM) and paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) are systemic mycoses that are highly endemic in Latin America and have recently been included on the World Health Organization (WHO) Fungal Priority Pathogens List. Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii are recognized as etiological agents of CM, with peculiarities in their geographic distribution. The genus Paracoccidioides now includes Paracoccidioides lutzii and the Paracoccidioides brasiliensis complex, which encompasses four phylogenetic species. In both diseases, pulmonary signs and symptoms are the main reasons for patients to seek medical assistance, and they are frequently misdiagnosed as tuberculosis. In this paper, we present a critical view of the strategies for diagnosis and clinical management of CM and PCM. Over the past few decades, there has been an increase in the number of reports of endemic fungal infections in areas previously thought to be "non-endemic" due to climate change and increased travel, among other factors. Learning to recognize their main epidemiological aspects and clinical manifestations is crucial so that clinicians can include them in the differential diagnosis of lung disease and avoid late diagnosis.

Encapsulated eumycetoma caused by Biatriospora mackinnonii.

Eumycetoma is a chronic infection due to filamentous fungi. Herein, we report a case of eumycetoma presenting as a subcutaneous encapsulated lesion on the right leg with no previous traumatic implantation. From microscopic morphological characteristics and molecular analysis, the pathogenic fungal species were identified as Biatriospora mackinnonii. Surgical excision of the entire lesion was performed to reduce the fungal load and improve antifungal therapy response.

Actinomycetoma by Actinomadura madurae. Clinical and therapeutic characteristics of 18 cases with two treatment modalities.

BACKGROUND: Actinomycetoma due to Actinomadura madurae is susceptible to numerous chemotherapeutic agents, however, the response to those treatments is variable and closely related to several factors. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the clinical-therapeutic characteristics of patients with actinomycetoma due to Actinomadura madurae with two treatment modalities. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of eighteen patients with a diagnosis of actinomycetoma. The most widely used therapeutic scheme was streptomycin 1 g every third day plus TMP/SMX 800 mg/160 mg/12h, followed by TMP/SMX with DDS 100 mg/day. In six patients (33%), ciprofloxacin 500 mg every 12 h was used instead of DDS. RESULTS: Conventional scheme achieved clinical and mycological cure in 58% of the cases, improvement in 16%, and 25% of the patients failed to treatment; in the cases treated with ciprofloxacin, clinical and microbiological cure was achieved in 83% of patients and clinical improvement in 16%. The treatment time to achieve clinical and mycological did not have a statistically significant difference (median 10 ± 1.38 vs. 12 ± 4.6). CONCLUSION: Treatment based on streptomycin + TMP/SMX with ciprofloxacin was found to be effective in treating patients with actinomycetoma, and comparable to the conventional treatment with DDS in actinomycetoma due to A. madurae with minimal bone involvement.

Oral involvement in mucormycosis. A retrospective study of 55 cases.

INTRODUCTION: Mucormycosis with oral involvement (OIM) is a rare opportunistic and lethal mycosis, which has increased in the last decade and is generally associated with uncontrolled diabetes and neutropenia. METHODS: A retrospective study of cases with OIM was carried out in a tertiary-care center. Mycological and histological examinations were performed, and the isolated organisms were identified by morphology and molecular biology. RESULTS: Fifty-five OIM patients were included, with a median age of 38 years (61.8% males). The most frequent associated disease was type-2 diabetes mellitus (61%), followed by neutropenia due to acute lymphocytic leukemia (27%). The main presentation was palatal and mandibular ulcers (92.7%) and, to a lesser extent, gingival and lingual necrosis. The diagnosis was established by mycological and histopathological studies. The most frequent fungi isolated was Rhizopus arrhizus (67.2%). CONCLUSION: OIM is a rapidly progressing disease, therefore, an early diagnosis and the proper control of predisposing factors is necessary, and consequently, contributing to improve the outcome of mucormycosis.

Ocular Sporotrichosis.

Sporotrichosis is a subacute or chronic mycosis predominant in tropical and subtropical regions. It is an infection of subcutaneous tissue caused by Sporothrix fungus species, but occasionally resulting in an extracutaneous condition, including osteoarticular, pulmonary, nervous central system, and ocular disease. Cases of ocular sporotrichosis are rare, but reports have been increasing in recent decades. Ocular infections usually occur in hyperendemic areas of sporotrichosis. For its classification, anatomic criteria are used. The clinical presentation is the infection in the ocular adnexal and intraocular infection. Ocular adnexa infections include palpebral, conjunctivitis, and infections of the lacrimal sac. Intraocular infection includes exogenous or endogenous endophthalmitis. Most infections in the ocular adnexal have been reported in Brazil, China and Peru, and intraocular infections are limited to the USA and Brazil. Diagnosis is performed from Sporothrix isolation in the mycological examination from ocular or skin samples. Both sporotrichosis in the ocular adnexa and intraocular infection can mimic several infectious and non-infectious medical conditions. Ocular adnexa infections are treated with potassium iodide and itraconazole. The intraocular infection is treated with amphotericin B. This review describes the clinical findings and epidemiological, diagnosis, and treatment of ocular sporotrichosis.

Actinomycetoma by Actinomadura madurae: Clinical Characteristics and Treatment of 47 Cases.

CONTEXT: Mycetoma is a chronic, granulomatous disease caused by fungi (eumycetoma) or aerobic filamentous actinomycetes (actinomycetoma). Actinomadura madurae is one of the most frequent actinomycetes. AIM: The study aims to provide an update on clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic, and outcome data for patients with actinomycetoma in a single center in Mexico. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was a retrospective study of 47 cases diagnosed with actinomycetoma. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The cases were selected from a total of 536 mycetoma obtained during 35 years (from 1985 to 2019). Clinical data were retrieved from the clinical records of our department. Microbiological data were obtained from our Mycology laboratory. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Frequencies and percentages were used for categorical variables. Normality was determined with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. We used means and medians to describe the variables. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients with actinomycetoma were included; female:male ratio 1.9:1; median age 38 years. The foot was the most affected region in 76.5% of cases. The bone invasion was observed in 89%. The time between symptoms onset and diagnosis was 5.5 years. Grain detection by direct examination was positive in 95% of cases. The most commonly used, as well as the most effective treatment scheme was streptomycin + sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim with dapsone. Sixty-three percent (30 patients) achieved clinical and mycological cure, and 10.6% (5 patients) had treatment failure. CONCLUSIONS: We highlight the importance of designing therapeutic strategies to standardize treatments and gain more experience to improve the care of these patients.

Thoracic actinomycetoma: a retrospective clinical-epidemiological study of 64 cases.

BACKGROUND: Actinomycetoma is a chronic granulomatous infection that follows traumatic implantation. Thoracic actinomycetoma (TA) is rare and may lead to severe complications. METHODS: A retrospective study of cases of TA diagnosed from 1985 to 2019 was carried out. Each case underwent direct examination, culture and biopsy. RESULTS: Sixty-four cases (12.8%) were included, with a male predominance (84.3%); the main occupation was peasant farmer (71.8%) and the main site was the back (76.5%). Vertebral involvement was observed in 21.8% and pulmonary involvement in 7.8%. Nocardia brasiliensis was the main aetiological agent (53 cases, 74.5%). CONCLUSIONS: TA is a poorly studied disease that can cause neurological and lung complications.

Clinical-therapeutic study on the efficacy and safety of thalidomide in the management of discoid lupus erythematosus. A single-centre, retrospective study.

Thalidomide is a second-line treatment for discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE). The efficacy of this treatment, the minimum effective doses, and safety is poorly documented in the literature. The aim of the study was to determine the efficacy and tolerance of thalidomide as first or second line of therapy for discoid lupus erythematosus. We present a retrospective single-centre study of 68 patients with DLE treated with thalidomide from 2003 to 2019. The inclusion criteria were the presence of clinical lesions suggestive of DLE, confirmed by histological examination and direct immunofluorescence. The mean age at diagnosis was 37.45 years (range 18-65 years). Thalidomide was started an average of 2.25 years after the diagnosis of DLE, as second-line therapy in 85% of the cases (58 patients), and as first-line therapy in 10 patients (15%). Fifty-six patients improved with thalidomide (82%), 39 cases achieved complete remission and 17 partial remissions. The mean duration of follow-up with thalidomide was 8.4 months (range 3-25 months). Five patients discontinued thalidomide due to adverse events. The most frequent side effect was headache (23.5%). Thalidomide is effective and safe in DLE patients as first or second-line treatment with a good safety profile.

Efficacy of imiquimod 5% cream as first-line management in cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania mexicana.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) involves several differential diagnoses as it lacks a gold standard diagnostic test. Its diagnosis is easier in endemic regions; however, many cases come from travelers to endemic areas. A 22-year-old patient, who had recently visited Oaxaca, Mexico, developed two asymptomatic ulcers weeks later on the left auricle and the nose. Leishmania mexicana was identified using polymerase chain reaction. The patient was treated with imiquimod 5% cream three times/week, providing favorable results after 12 weeks, without relapse 2 months after therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first case of CL due to L. mexicana effectively treated with imiquimod.

Deep mycoses and pseudomycoses of the foot: a single-center retrospective study of 160 cases, in a tertiary-care center in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Deep mycoses and pseudomycoses (DMP) may cause significant disability and even death; however, the reports regarding these diseases, mainly affecting the foot, are scarce. OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiological, clinical, and diagnostic characteristics of DMP of the foot in 160 patients. METHODS: A retrospective and observational study of DMP affecting the foot was carried out in a tertiary-care center in Mexico for 20 years (from January 2000 to December 2019). Cases with confirmatory microbiological studies were included; the identification of the isolated fungi was based on the forms of reproduction. For actinomycetes, morphological analysis in an automated system ATB Vitek® 1574 (Biomèrieux) was used. The fungi were identified by PCR, using several primers from the ITS regions and for actinomycetes in the 16S rRNA region. Data from histopathological studies were also collected. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty proven cases of DMP of the foot were included. The cases were categorized into nine types of infections including mycetoma (actinomycetoma and eumycetoma) in 102 cases (63.7%); sporotrichosis in 21 cases (13.1%); chromoblastomycosis, 18 cases (11.2%); phaeohyphomycosis, 3 cases (1.8%); histoplasmosis, 12 cases (7.5%); coccidioidomycosis 2 cases (1.2%) and botryomycosis and nocardiosis with one case respectively (0.6%). Most cases developed after traumatic implantation (147 cases, 91.8%). One hundred fifteen cases (71.8%) were men. The evolution was chronic in 125 cases (78.2%); bone involvement was observed in 64 cases (40%). Parasitic forms were observed In 139 cases (86.8%). The isolation and identification of the etiological agents were confirmed in all cases. CONCLUSION: The main DMP affecting the foot were infections due to traumatic implantation; most were endemic mycoses. The clinical characteristics and the evolution of the diseases are easily misdiagnosed, and thus, diagnostic tests are usually required.