Albendazole - Ivermectin combination decreases inflammation in experimental neurocysticercosis.

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a public health issue in endemic regions and is considered the main preventable cause of neurologic disease. It is caused by the presence of Taenia solium cysticercus in the central nervous system. The current treatment is performed with anthelminthic drugs - albendazole (ABZ) or praziquantel - associated with anti-inflammatory and corticosteroids in order to prevent the negative effects of the inflammatory reaction to the parasite's death. Ivermectin (IVM) is an anthelminthic drug that has been shown to present an anti-inflammatory effect. The aim of this study was to was to evaluate the histopathologic aspects of experimental NCC after in vivo treatment with a combination of ABZ-IVM. Balb/c mice were intracranially inoculated with T. crassiceps cysticerci and after 30 days of infection were treated with a single dose of NaCl 0.9% (control group), ABZ monotherapy (40 mg/kg), IVM monotherapy (0.2 mg/kg) or a combination of ABZ-IVM. 24h after the treatment the animals were euthanized and the brain was removed for histopathologic analysis. The IVM monotherapy and ABZ-IVM combination showed more degenerated cysticerci, less inflammatory infiltration, meningitis and hyperemia than the other groups. Therefore, it is possible to recommend the combination of albendazole and ivermectin as alternative chemotherapy for NCC due to its antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory effects, with potential to decrease the negative effects of the inflammatory burst when the parasite is killed within the CNS.

Treatment of Extensive Soft Tissue Injury with Polypropylene Prosthesis: A Case Study.

Injuries with exposure of soft tissue are frequent in orthopaedics. Innovative therapies using prosthesis as an auxiliary material to treat this type of injury are under development, aiming to overcome applicability and execution limitations of myocutaneous flap techniques. Figueiredo's technique uses a polypropylene prosthesis extracted from sterile saline to treat trauma at the fingertip. It is an alternative technique with a high success rate, reproducible, low cost and easy to apply. This article reports a case of foot injury with exposure of soft tissue treated with a treatment similar to Figueiredo's technique. The patient was admitted with a large and contaminated skin wound, muscle damage, tendon exposure, cuboid fracture and bone loss. Initially, debridement was performed. After 72 hours, a polypropylene prosthesis extracted from a sterile saline bottle was implanted and subsequently replaced after 60 days. After 76 days, the prosthesis was removed. There was no infection. 8 months later, there was total healing by second intention. The patient's motor and sensory functions were preserved. This case study shows that Figueiredo's technique can also be employed in more extensive injuries, representing an alternative to using myocutaneous flaps. The polypropylene prosthesis is extremely affordable, which enables resolution of cases in a greater number of services. This technique still offers the best aesthetic result and does not compromise other body regions.