Neisseria gonorrhoeae prevalence in females in São Paulo, Brazil: surveillance of the infection over a 11-year period.

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of infection by Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the second highest among bacterial sexually transmitted infections worldwide. It can lead to severe complications, especially in the female reproductive system. So, the objective of the present study was to assess the prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in a large population of female patients from a private health service in São Paulo (Brazil), thereby identifying the main age groups affected by the agent and how prevalence progressed over time. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted based on the results of all molecular biology tests performed for detecting Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The tests were conducted between January 2005 and December 2015. Positive test results were grouped by year and age group. RESULTS: Of those tests, 35,886 were considered eligible for the statistical data. The overall prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in the study population was 0.4%. A higher prevalence of infection was observed in the group whose participants' age was ≤ 25 years, at a rate of 0.6%. There was no significant increase or decrease in the number of positive test results over time. The prevalence of the infection in those aged between 10 and 19 years, 20-29 years, 30-39 years, 40-49 years, 50-59 years, and 60 years or above was respectively 0.87%, 0.50%, 0.36%, 0.22%, 0.17%, and 0.26%. CONCLUSION: The screening of asymptomatic young women would have the potential to reduce infection, transmission, and sequelae of infection by this agent.

Evaluation of 1,030,482 Cervical Smear Results in Brazilian Population.

BACKGROUND: The objective was to determine the prevalence of abnormal cytologic smears in a large population of a Brazilian city. METHODS: Retrospective study of cervical cytology results performed at a private laboratory in São Paulo - Brazil. A total of 1,030,482 cytology tests were performed between January 2010 and December 2015. RESULTS: Among the satisfactory cytologies, we observed abnormal results in 8.9% (91,371). Analyzing the proportion of exams with altered results over the years, there was no change in these rates. We observed that the proportion of abnormal exams decreased with increasing age. Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, possibly non-neoplastic (ASC-US) cytology was the most common abnormality found in the general population with 73.19%, followed by low-grade intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) with 20.5%; these 2 cytological abnormalities add up to 93.69 % of all abnormal results. There was an increase in ASC-US with advancing age, a decrease in prevalence of LSIL, especially after the age of 30 and high-grade intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) shows two peaks of elevation, respectively in the age groups of 30-39 years and over 70 years. CONCLUSION: Women under the age of 30 showed a higher prevalence of cytological abnormalities, however most of these changes are low-grade lesions. In older women, cytological abnormalities are largely high-grade lesions, requiring greater care to prevent progression to cancer.

Diagnosis and treatment of infectious vaginitis: Proposal for a new algorithm.

Background: Vaginitis is the most common gynecologic diagnosis in primary care, and most women have at least one episode during their lives. The need for standardized strategies to diagnose and treat vaginitis, both in primary care and among gynecologists, is emphasized. The Brazilian Group for Vaginal Infections (GBIV, acronym in Portuguese) aimed to update the practical approach to affected women by reviewing and discussing recent literature, and developing algorithms for diagnosis and treatment of vaginitis. Methods: A literature search within biomedical databases PubMed and SCieLo was conducted in January 2022. The available literature was evaluated by three experienced researchers, members of the GBIV, to summarize the main data and develop practical algorithms. Results and conclusion: Detailed algorithms were developed with the main goal to improve gynecological practice considering different scenarios and access to diagnostic tools, from the simplest to the most complex tests. Different age groups and specific contexts were also considered. The combination of anamnesis, gynecological examination, and complementary tests remains the basis of a proper diagnostic and therapeutic approach. Periodic updates of these algorithms are warranted as new evidence becomes available.

Chlamydia trachomatis prevalence in females in São Paulo, Brazil: 11 years' surveillance of the infection.

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection is the most prevalent sexually transmitted bacterial disease worldwide whose greatest impact is on the female reproductive system. The objective was to assess the prevalence of Chlamydia infection in a large population of female patients from a private health service in São Paulo (Brazil), identifying the main age groups affected by the agent and the evolution of the prevalence. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted based on the results of all molecular biology tests. The tests were carried out between January 2005 and December 2015. The positivity of test results was determined by year and age group. RESULTS: A total of 85,292 patients who performed 103,576 tests for Chlamydia were considered eligible for the statistical data. The overall prevalence of C. trachomatis infection in the study population was 2.2% (95% CI: 2.07-2.25). A higher prevalence of infection was observed in the ≤ 25 years and ≤ 30 years age groups, with rates of 6.0% (95% CI: 5.59-6.35) and 4.4% (95% CI: 4.08-4.50), respectively. There was a significant increase in the positivity of the exams over time, especially in the ≤ 35 years age group. The prevalence at 26-30 years was 3.1% (95% CI: 2.82-3.30); 31-35 years 1.7% (95% CI: 1.50-1.82); 36-40 years 1.0% (95% CI: 0.86-1.16); 41-60 years 0.6% (95% CI: 0.50-0.70) and the prevalence at ≥ 61 years was 0.4% (95% CI: 0.11-0.75). CONCLUSION: The screening of asymptomatic young women would have the potential to reduce infection, transmission, and sequelae of infection by this agent.

Cervical Cancer Screening of Adolescents and Young Women: Further Evidence Shows a Lack of Clinical Value.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of cytological abnormalities among young people from a large population in the city of São Paulo (Brazil). DESIGN: Retrospective, observational analysis of data from the institution's data processing center. SETTING: A private laboratory in São Paulo (Brazil). PARTICIPANTS: Comparison of 3 different groups (ie, adolescent women [aged ≤19 years], young adult women [aged between 20 and 24 years], and adult women [aged 25 years and older]). INTERVENTIONS: Assessment of results from all cervical-vaginal smears collected for cytology between January 2010 and December 2015. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparative analysis of cytological abnormalities in the 3 different groups. RESULTS: A total of 1,026,671 satisfactory cytology tests were performed. The proportion of cytological abnormalities was found to decrease with age (P < .001) and was similar in the groups comprised of adolescents and young adults, with 3.405/ 20.921 (16.3%) and 13,635/ 78,277 (17.4%), respectively, and 74,320/ 927,473 (8.0%) in the group of adult patients (P < .001). Among the positive cytologies in the group of adolescents, 3,331/ 3,405 (97.8%) represented low-grade lesions and 74/ 3,405 (2.2%) high-grade lesions, whereas among adults older than 25 years old, these figures were 69,092/ 74.320 (93%) and 5,228/ 74.320 (6.9%), respectively. No cases of cancer were found in the group of adolescents. CONCLUSION: Cytological screening of young people is not recommended because of the low prevalence of high-grade cytological abnormalities in this population, with cancer being a rare event. This inadvertent screening could lead to unnecessary complementary exams and overtreatment, which could compromise the reproductive future of these young women.

Detection of transformation zone cells in liquid-based cytology and its comparison with conventional smears.

BACKGROUND: To compare the differences between liquid-based cytology (LBC) and conventional cytology in respect of the detection of transformation zone cells (TZC) by age group and to assess test performance by correlating results with cytological abnormalities. METHODS: A retrospective study assessing the results of cervical-vaginal cytology smears collected at a private laboratory in São Paulo (Brazil) between January 2010 and December 2015. RESULTS: A total of 1 030 482 cytology tests were performed; of these, 3811 (0.36%) unsatisfactory samples were excluded. Cytology sampling in the patients studied was performed using the conventional technique in 394 879 (38.5%) cases and the liquid-based techniques in 631 792 (61.5%) cases. The proportion of samples with TZC for interpretation was 73.2% (288 956 samples) in conventional cytology and 52.7% (333 115 samples) in LBC (P < .001). The presence of TZC rate declined in both groups with age, but was consistently lower for LBC (P < .001). The presence of endocervical and metaplastic cells was associated with higher high-grade intraepithelial lesion detection rates. CONCLUSION: Low representation of the transformation zone was found in the samples collected using the LBC technique, particularly in the over 50 age group. Conventional cytology was associated with a higher rate of detection of high-grade lesions.

Aspects of Langerhans cells and TNF-α in the cutaneous immunity of anogenital warts.

BACKGROUND: Anogenital warts are the leading sexually transmitted infection in patients seeking care at specialized clinics. They may display a vast array of forms, according to the interaction of the virus with the host's immunity. Cellular immunity is the epithelium's main form of defense against the virus, involving an active participation of the Langerhans cells and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α. OBJECTIVE: To assess the epithelial immune response of anogenital warts in males, according to the number of lesions presented. METHODS: This is a prospective, cross-sectional study carried out at the dermatology outpatient clinic in a tertiary hospital. We included male patients over 18 years of age without comorbidities who had anogenital condylomata and no previous treatments.In order to evaluate the local epithelial immunity, the lesions were quantified, then removed and employed in CD1a immunohistochemistry assays for assessing the morphometry and morphology of Langerhans cells; TNF-α; reaction was used for determining cytokine positivity in the epithelium. RESULTS: 48 patients were included in the study. There was no statistically significant difference as to the number of Langerhans cells, in their morphology, or the presence of TNF-α. However, patients presenting with more Langerhans cells in the lesions had cells with a star-like and dendritic morphology, whereas in those with a lower cell count had cells with a rounded morphology and no dendrites (p<0.001). STUDY LIMITATIONS: Small number of patients analyzed. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in epithelial immunity between patients having few or many anogenital condyloma lesions as measured by the morphology and morphometry of Langerhans cells and TNF-α; positivity. Such an assessment employing immunity markers differing from the usual ones is expected to yield useful results.

Aspects of Langerhans cells and TNF-α in the cutaneous immunity of anogenital warts

Abstract Background: Anogenital warts are the leading sexually transmitted infection in patients seeking care at specialized clinics. They may display a vast array of forms, according to the interaction of the virus with the host's immunity. Cellular immunity is the epithelium's main form of defense against the virus, involving an active participation of the Langerhans cells and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α. Objective: To assess the epithelial immune response of anogenital warts in males, according to the number of lesions presented. Methods: This is a prospective, cross-sectional study carried out at the dermatology outpatient clinic in a tertiary hospital. We included male patients over 18 years of age without comorbidities who had anogenital condylomata and no previous treatments.In order to evaluate the local epithelial immunity, the lesions were quantified, then removed and employed in CD1a immunohistochemistry assays for assessing the morphometry and morphology of Langerhans cells; TNF-α; reaction was used for determining cytokine positivity in the epithelium. Results: 48 patients were included in the study. There was no statistically significant difference as to the number of Langerhans cells, in their morphology, or the presence of TNF-α. However, patients presenting with more Langerhans cells in the lesions had cells with a star-like and dendritic morphology, whereas in those with a lower cell count had cells with a rounded morphology and no dendrites (p < 0.001). Study limitations: Small number of patients analyzed. Conclusion: There was no difference in epithelial immunity between patients having few or many anogenital condyloma lesions as measured by the morphology and morphometry of Langerhans cells and TNF-α; positivity. Such an assessment employing immunity markers differing from the usual ones is expected to yield useful results.

Uso do imiquimode para tratamento da doença de Paget extramamária: série de quatro casos / Imiquimod use for the treatment of extramammary Paget disease: series of four cases

Introdução: A doença de Paget extramamária é constituída por adenocarcinoma da pele em áreas de glândulas apócrinas. Trata-se de neoplasia rara cujo tratamento cirúrgico aparenta resultados satisfatórios. Devido às altas taxas de recorrência, entretanto, as cirurgias são potencialmente mutilantes. O imiquimode é imunoestimulador tópico utilizado no tratamento de verrugas anogenitais e carcinomas in situ. Seu uso tem sido descrito na literatura científica para terapia da doença de Paget extramamária com resultados satisfatórios. Objetivo: Descrever a evolução de quatro casos de doença de Paget extramamária tratados com imiquimode, para avaliação da evolução e resposta terapêutica. Métodos: Foi realizado estudo retrospectivo em serviço de dermatologia da cidade de São Paulo com revisão de prontuários de todos os pacientes com diagnóstico de doença de Paget extramamária e tratados com imiquimode de janeiro de 2011 a julho de 2018. Resultados: Foram incluídos quatro pacientes, três com lesão vulvar e um com lesão em bolsa escrotal. Duas mulheres evoluíram com resolução total da doença, uma não apresentou alteração, e o homem evolui com regressão de 70% da lesão, sendo submetido à exérese cirúrgica de área consideravelmente menor do que a da lesão inicial. Conclusões: O imiquimode se apresenta como método terapêutico válido no tratamento da doença de Paget extramamária.

Introduction: Extramammary Paget disease consists of a cutaneous adenocarcinoma in areas of apocrine glands. It is a rare neoplasia, and its surgical treatment yields satisfactory results. However, due to the high recurrence rates, surgeries are potentially disfiguring. Imiquimod is a topical immune-stimulant used for the treatment of anogenital warts and in situ carcinomas. Its use has been described in the scientific literature for the treatment of Extramammary Paget disease with satisfactory results. Objective: Describe the course of four cases of Extramammary Paget disease treated with imiquimod, to evaluate evolution and therapeutic response. Methods: A retrospective study was performed in a service of dermatology in the city of São Paulo, with the review of medical records of all patients diagnosed with Extramammary Paget disease and treated with imiquimod from January 2011 to July 2018. Results: Four patients were included, three with vulvar lesion and one with scrotal lesion. Two women presented completed resolution of the disease, one did not respond and the man progressed with 70% regression of the lesion, having undergone surgical excision of a considerably smaller area than the initial lesion. Conclusions: Imiquimod presents as a valid therapeutic modality for the treatment of Extramammary Paget disease.

Vulvar melanoma: relevant aspects in therapeutic management.

Cancer of the vulva accounts for at least 1% of malignant neoplasms among women. Although rare, vulvar melanoma is the second most common histological type of vulvar cancer, representing 7-10% of all malignant vulvar neoplasms. Initial symptoms are non-specific and complete excision of the lesion is indicated in cases with suspected diagnosis. Prognosis of patients with these neoplasms is poor and remains unchanged despite the treatment approach. Hemivulvectomy with lymph node dissection is the current procedure of choice, associated or not with adjuvant therapies. We report two cases of patients presenting with late diagnosed vulvar melanoma and the relevant aspects in their therapeutic management.

Vulvar melanoma: relevant aspects in therapeutic management

Abstract Cancer of the vulva accounts for at least 1% of malignant neoplasms among women. Although rare, vulvar melanoma is the second most common histological type of vulvar cancer, representing 7-10% of all malignant vulvar neoplasms. Initial symptoms are non-specific and complete excision of the lesion is indicated in cases with suspected diagnosis. Prognosis of patients with these neoplasms is poor and remains unchanged despite the treatment approach. Hemivulvectomy with lymph node dissection is the current procedure of choice, associated or not with adjuvant therapies. We report two cases of patients presenting with late diagnosed vulvar melanoma and the relevant aspects in their therapeutic management.

Verrucous carcinoma of the vulva: diagnosis and treatment.

Vulvar cancer accounts for less than 1% of malignancies in women. Verrucous carcinoma of the vulva is a rare histological variation, comprising less than 1% of vulvar cancer cases. Although it is characterized as being locally invasive, the condition is not associated with metastatic spreading. Lesions present in the form of a verrucous, ulcerated, and bleeding tumor that can reach large dimensions. This type of tumor can be mistaken for condylomata, both macroscopically and microscopically. We report the case of an 81-year-old patient with a large vulvar tumor presented for eight years, initially considered as a Buschke-Löwenstein tumor. The patient underwent radical vulvectomy with a V-Y advancement flap technique. This type of tumor should be considered by clinicians dealing with condylomatous ulcerative lesions that do not respond to the usual treatment.

Condilomas anogenitais em crianças: análise descritiva de 20 casos / Anogenital condylomas in children: descriptive analysis of 20 cases

Introdução: A ocorrência de verruga anogenital em crianças é relativamente infrequente, porém gera angústias para a família e para o médico diante da possível associação com abuso sexual. Objetivo: Demonstrar casos de verruga anogenital em crianças e opções terapêuticas utilizadas. Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo descritivo de verrugas anogenitais em menores de 12 anos de idade, com média de idade de quatro anos, atendidos entre 2011 e 2015, em ambulatório público de doenças sexualmente transmissíveis na cidade de São Paulo. Resultados: Demonstramos 20 casos, sendo 12 crianças do sexo feminino e oito do sexo masculino. A localização preferencial das lesões foi em região perianal (70%), e 30% das crianças apresentavam verruga extragenital. O tratamento de escolha em 65% dos casos foi com medicamentos tópicos (podofilina e imiquimode). O tempo máximo para a cura foi de 20 semanas. Conclusões: O condiloma anogenital foi mais frequente em meninas, a média de idade foi de quatro anos, a localização mais acometida foi a região perianal e apresentou boa resposta terapêutica com o tratamento tópico de escolha.

Introduction: The occurrence of anogenital warts in children is relatively rare, however it generates distress for the family and the physician regarding the possible association with sexual abuse. Objective: To demonstrate cases of anogenital wart in children and the therapeutic options used. Methods: Retrospective descriptive study of anogenital warts in children under 12 years of age, with a mean age of 4 years, treated between 2011 and 2015, in a sexually transmitted diseases public outpatient clinic in the Brazilian Southeast city of São Paulo. Results: The authors demonstrated 20 cases ­ of which 12 were female and 8 were male. The preferred location for the lesions was the perianal region (70%), with 30% of the children presenting extragenital warts. The treatment of choice in 65% of cases was the application of topical medication (podophyllin and imiquimod). The longest time to cure was 20 weeks. Conclusions: Anogenital condyloma was more frequent in girls, the mean age was 4 years, and the most affected site was the perianal region. The lesions had good therapeutic response with the application of the topical treatment of choice.

Verrucous carcinoma of the vulva: diagnosis and treatment

Abstract: Vulvar cancer accounts for less than 1% of malignancies in women. Verrucous carcinoma of the vulva is a rare histological variation, comprising less than 1% of vulvar cancer cases. Although it is characterized as being locally invasive, the condition is not associated with metastatic spreading. Lesions present in the form of a verrucous, ulcerated, and bleeding tumor that can reach large dimensions. This type of tumor can be mistaken for condylomata, both macroscopically and microscopically. We report the case of an 81-year-old patient with a large vulvar tumor presented for eight years, initially considered as a Buschke-Löwenstein tumor. The patient underwent radical vulvectomy with a V-Y advancement flap technique. This type of tumor should be considered by clinicians dealing with condylomatous ulcerative lesions that do not respond to the usual treatment.

Cervical Cancer Screening of Adolescents Should Not Be Encouraged.

OBJECTIVE: The study aims to assess the frequency of cytological abnormalities in adolescents and young women, to establish the optimum age to start screening. METHODS: A retrospective study of cervical cytology results were obtained from the data center at the Santa Casa Hospital of São Paulo between January 2006 and December 2014, adopting the Bethesda nomenclature system. The cytology exams were divided into 3 groups: group 1-adolescents (10-19 years old); group 2-young women (20-24 years old); and group 3-adults, comprising the remaining cytology exams. The frequency of cytological abnormalities in the 3 groups was compared using version 3.4.3 of the Epi Info software program and the chi-square statistical test (p < .05). RESULTS: A total of 177,075 satisfactory cytology exams were included in the study. The cytological abnormalities detected in the adolescent group were predominantly low-grade lesions (97.4%); in the young women group, low-grade lesions represented 89.12%, and in the adult group, 76.33%. A significantly greater proportion of high-grade lesions were noted in the adult group, accounting for approximately 24% of all abnormalities detected; in the young women group, it was approximately 11%, and in the adolescent group, it was 2.6%. CONCLUSIONS: The natural history of HPV infection shows it is transient in young women, with most cases regressing within 2 years of presentation. Our data confirm that screening of adolescents is not recommended because serious cytological abnormalities and cancer are rare in this group.

Porokeratosis ptychotropica: a rare manifestation with typical histological exam.

Porokeratosis is a disorder of epidermal keratinization characterized clinically by a distinctive ridge-like border, and histologically by cornoid lamellae. The known clinical variants of porokeratosis are: classic porokeratosis of Mibelli, disseminated superficial (actinic) porokeratosis (DSAP), porokeratosis palmaris et plantaris disseminata, linear porokeratosis and punctate porokeratosis. In 1995, a seventh form was described as porokeratosis ptychotropica: a verrucous form resembling psoriasis involving the gluteal cleft presenting on the histological exam multiple cornoid lamellae. There are very few reports in the literature of this clinical variant. The present study describes the case of a healthy male presenting gluteal hyperkeratotic plaques for 22 years. He had been to several dermatologists, none of them had achieved a definitive diagnosis. We present a typical clinical presentation and its dermoscopy findings, in addition to histological examination that confirmed the diagnosis.

Porokeratosis ptychotropica: a rare manifestation with typical histological exam

Abstract: Porokeratosis is a disorder of epidermal keratinization characterized clinically by a distinctive ridge-like border, and histologically by cornoid lamellae. The known clinical variants of porokeratosis are: classic porokeratosis of Mibelli, disseminated superficial (actinic) porokeratosis (DSAP), porokeratosis palmaris et plantaris disseminata, linear porokeratosis and punctate porokeratosis. In 1995, a seventh form was described as porokeratosis ptychotropica: a verrucous form resembling psoriasis involving the gluteal cleft presenting on the histological exam multiple cornoid lamellae. There are very few reports in the literature of this clinical variant. The present study describes the case of a healthy male presenting gluteal hyperkeratotic plaques for 22 years. He had been to several dermatologists, none of them had achieved a definitive diagnosis. We present a typical clinical presentation and its dermoscopy findings, in addition to histological examination that confirmed the diagnosis.