- BACKGROUND: Hydatidosis is a rare and endemic parasitic disease in Brazil that causes the proliferation of cysts mainly in the liver, leading to many complications, such as compression of vessels and biliary ducts, liver failure, portal hypertension, and cirrhosis. The treatment of choice is the resection of the lesions combined with albendazole therapy. This disease is a rare indication for liver transplantation, a feasible treatment option in more advanced stages. AIM: The purpose of this study was to describe two cases of patients from northern Brazil who underwent liver transplantation due to hepatic hydatidosis. METHODS: This is a retrospective study with data collected from medical records. RESULTS: Case 1: A 51-year-old female patient presented pain in the right hypochondriac, dyspepsia, consumptive syndrome, and obstructive jaundice, with a previous diagnosis of Caroli’s disease with no possibility of surgical resection and a MELD score of 24. She underwent liver transplantation, and the anatomopathological result demonstrated hydatidosis. Case 2: A 52-year-old female patient presented multiple episodes of cholangitis in 30 years, with three liver resections and clinical treatment with albendazole for hydatidosis. She underwent liver transplantation due to recurrent cholangitis with a MELD score of 20. Both patients underwent post-transplant clinical therapy with albendazole, had good outcomes, and remain in follow-up without complications after 5 and 96 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: The patients benefited from the procedure and have a good prognosis due to the absence of metastasis, early reintroduction of antiparasitic drugs, and continuous follow-up.

Background: The emergence of potent combined highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 1996 changed the natural history of HIV infection, with a significant reduction in mortality due to opportunistic infections but increased morbidity due to chronic cardiovascular, hepatic, and renal diseases. In May 2016, a reference center for liver transplantation in the Northeast of Brazil performed the first liver transplantations (LT) in HIV patients, with five others until 2021. Methods: The criteria for selection of LT were good adherence and absence of resistance to ART, HIV viral load maximum suppression, T-CD4+ lymphocyte count of more than 100 cells/mm3, and absence of opportunistic infections in the last 6 months. Results: Six liver transplants were performed between May 2016 and May 2021, five men, with a mean age of 53.2 years, and one was a diabetic patient. All patients had access to grafts with short cold ischemia with a mean time of 5 hours and 39 minutes. The 4-month survival rate was 100%, with a range time of follow-up of 4-63 months (mean time of 31 months). The mean pre-transplant T-CD4+ lymphocyte count was 436 cells/mm3. The mean length of hospital stay after transplantation was 16.8 days. One patient presented precocious vena cava thrombosis; another had stenosis of cavocaval anastomosis leading to refractory ascites, renal failure and post-transplant graft dysfunction, and another presented stenosis of choledochal anastomosis. Immunosuppression and prophylaxis were used according to standard protocols, and there were no differences in the profile of infections or rejection after liver transplantation. Conclusion: This case series documents good survival and usual transplant procedures for confirmed HIV cases.

OBJECTIVE: Brazil ranks second in gross numbers of kidney and liver transplantations, but deceased organ donation is still far below the national demand for organs. Apart from a high family refusal rate, another significant barrier is healthcare workers' inappropriate knowledge concerning organ donation and transplantation. Since most of them have recently graduated from university, this study aimed to evaluate the awareness and attitudes of medical students concerning organ donation. METHODS: Between August and September 2021, a web-based survey with 10 overlapping questions was sent to medical students from several Brazilian universities after advertisements on social media. RESULTS: A total of 391 (60% female, mean age: 23 [17-41] years) students answered the survey. Most of them (91%) would like to donate organs in case of death, and 75% have already notified their family. The main reasons for not becoming a donor were fear of body manipulation (n=3) or family reaction (n=2) and religious reasons (n=2). When inquired, 54% were unaware of brain death criteria, and half of them claimed to have never discussed the topic in medical classes. Except for Glasgow coma scale (97%), pupillary (72%), and corneal (53%) reflexes, less than 25% knew other reflexes required for brain death diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Most medical students declared themselves as organ donors, and most informed their families. However, many students have never learned about crucial steps toward organ donation, which may impact their adequate recognition of potential organ donors later in life.

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Introdução: Neoplasia Endócrina Múltipla Tipo 1 (NEM-1) é doença hereditária (DH) caracterizada pela presença de hiperparatireoidismo (HPT), adenoma de hipófise (AH) e tumor gastroenteropancreático (TGEP). Análise de heredogramas (HDGs) é estratégico nas DH. Objetivo: Construir, analisar HDGs e detectar comorbidades na NEM-1. Metodologia: Entrevista, aplicação de questionário, criação de HDGs (GenoPro®) e avaliação de parâmetros metabólicos. Parcerias: NPDM/HUWC-UFC. Resultados: Analisados 33 casos distribuídos em 3 famílias (F). Na F1, 18 casos:11 HPT, 10 AH e 08 TGEP. F2, 5 casos: 3 HPT, 3 TGEP e 1 AH. F3, 10 casos: 3 HPT, 8 AH e 4 TGEP. Detectado antecessor comum entre 2 famílias e presença de surdo-mudez congênita.  Em 17 indivíduos, 10 mulheres, de diferentes famílias, observamos 41% de humor deprimido, 35% obesos (OB) e 59% de sobrepeso (SP). Conclusão: HDGs permitiram caracterizar o perfil intrafamiliar, relacionar famílias aparentemente distintas. Houve frequência elevada de alteração do humor, OB e SP.