Pemphigus vulgaris is a chronic autoimmune bullous dermatosis that results from
the production of autoantibodies against desmogleins 1 and 3. It is the most
frequent and most severe form of pemphigus, occurring universally, usually
between 40 and 60 years of age. It usually begins with blisters and erosions on
the oral mucosa, followed by lesions on other mucous membranes and flaccid
blisters on the skin, which can be disseminated. There is a clinical variant,
pemphigus vegetans, which is characterized by the presence of vegetating lesions
in the large folds of the skin. Clinical suspicion can be confirmed by
cytological examination, histopathological examination, and direct and indirect
immunofluorescence tests. The treatment is performed with systemic
corticosteroids, and immunosuppressive drugs may be associated, among them
azathioprine and mycophenolate mofetil. More severe cases may benefit from
corticosteroids in the form of intravenous pulse therapy, and recent studies
have shown a beneficial effect of rituximab, an anti-CD20 immunobiological drug.
It is a chronic disease with mortality around 10%, and septicemia is the main
cause of death. Patients need long-term and multidisciplinary follow-up.
Fusariosis is due to inhalation or direct contact with conidia. Clinical
presentation depends on host's immunity and can be localized, focally invasive
or disseminated. Given the severity of this infection and the possibility for
the dermatologist to make an early diagnosis, we report six cases of patients
with hematologic malignancies, who developed febrile neutropenia an skin lesions
suggestive of cutaneous fusariosis. All patients had skin cultures showing
growth of Fusarium solani complex, and they received
amphotericin B and voriconazole. As this infection can quickly lead to death,
dermatologists play a crucial role in diagnosing this disease.
Cryptococcosis is a common fungal infection in immunocompromised patients, caused
by genus Cryptococcus, presenting with meningitis, pneumonia,
and skin lesions. Cutaneous presentation can be varied, but specifically in
solid organ transplant recipients (iatrogenically immunocompromised),
cryptococcosis should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of
cellulitis-like lesions, since the delay in diagnosis leads to worse prognosis
and fatal outcome. We report four cases of cryptococcosis with cutaneous
manifestation not only for its rarity, but also to emphasize the important role
of the dermatologist in the diagnosis of this disease.
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