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Vitorino Modesto dos Santos

Publications and source records attributed to Vitorino Modesto dos Santos.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Transverse myelitis and chronic urticaria in systemic lupus erythematosus. Case report.

We report a 40 years old woman with chronic urticaria and acute transverse myelitis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. The urticaria appeared in her adolescence and after 26 years was followed by photosensitivity, peripheral polyarthritis and acute transverse myelitis, with positive antiphospholipid and antinuclear antibodies. Both chronic urticaria and acute transverse myelitis have been described associated with or appearing as the first manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus. Transverse myelitis is a rare and still poorly understood condition reported in about 2% of patients with systemic lupus.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2005

Intestinal spirochetosis and colon diverticulosis.

A case of intestinal spirochetosis in a 62-year-old white male is reported. The condition was characterized by chronic flatulence and episodes of intestinal hemorrhage, in addition to the evidence of hypotonic diverticular disease, with a large number of slender organisms in the colon epithelium and cryptae. Spirochetes were demonstrated by Whartin-Starry stain. The serologic tests for syphilis and HIV were positive. Spirochetosis was treated with penicillin G, and the patient remains free of intestinal complaints 20 months later.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2004

Titanium pigment in tissues of drug addicts: report of 5 necropsied cases.

The aim of this report is to describe the anatomic-pathologic findings from necropsies of 5 drug addicts with titanium pigment in several organs after chronic intravenous injection of crushed propoxyphene hydrochloride tablets. Samples from liver, spleen, lungs, lymph nodes, and bone marrow were obtained, and after being grossly studied, they were submitted to evaluation using common light and polarized microscopy. In all 5 cases, a pigment with characteristics of titanium dioxide was found within tissue samples of the organs studied. Our findings suggest that research concerning titanium pigment within body tissues should be enhanced, considering the potential contribution of this morphologic data to forensic pathology.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Functional and histopathological study of the pancreas in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) infected and reinfected with Trypanosoma cruzi.

Histopathological and functional changes in the pancreas were studied in 94 hamsters infected and reinfected with Trypanosoma cruzi VIC strain and in 73 non-infected normal controls. Infection in each animal was verified by microhematocrit, hemoculture, specific peroxidase anti-peroxidase, polymerase chain reaction and seroagglutination. Blood glucose and insulin were determined. The number of islets per section and the number of islet cells marked with antibodies were counted. Insulitis, neuritis, fibrosis, atrophy and inflammatory infiltrates were evaluated. Experimental chagasic infection caused pancreatitis similar to human Chagas' disease, involving acini, islets and nerves, with atrophy and fibrosis, although without correlation to the number of reinfections. Erratic blood glucose levels and a tendency to hypoinsulinemia were observed in infected animals. During the acute phase, the number of somatostatin and pancreatic polipeptide producer islet cells was lower in infected hamsters, which was eventually related to changes in blood sugar levels and hypoinsulinemia. Our findings favor the hypothesis of the existence of an endocrine form of chronic chagasic infection.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Niacin metabolite excretion in alcoholic pellagra and AIDS patients with and without diarrhea.

OBJECTIVE: Malnourished patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) can develop pellagra-like manifestations such as dermatitis, diarrhea, and dementia; therefore, we tested the hypothesis that patients with AIDS and diarrhea would have niacin depletion. This study compared 24-h urine excretion of N1-methyl-nicotinamide (N1MN) among patients with pellagra and patients with AIDS who did and did not have diarrhea. METHODS: Three groups were studied: G1 (patients with AIDS and diarrhea, n = 5); G2 (patients with AIDS and no diarrhea, n = 7), and G3 (patients with alcoholic pellagra and without the human immunodeficiency virus, n = 8). Diarrhea was defined as the production of at least three liquid stools per day over 3 to 5 d. Studies included mucosal intestinal biopsy, malabsorption tests, detection of parasites in stool, and serum albumin measurements. Semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire, anthropometry, and daily urinary N1MN excretion were also determined. Groups were matched in relation to age, sex, presence of parasites in stool, and intestinal absorption results. RESULTS: G1 had normal intestinal examination by light microscopy and no parasites in stools. G2 group showed lower levels of serum albumin (2.6 +/- 0.3 g/dL) when compared with G1 (3.4 +/- 0.3 g/dL) and G3 (3.1 +/- 0.7 g/dL). Except for patients with pellagra, groups met their energy requirements. Patients in G3 (0.013, 0.01-0.081 mg/dL) and G1 (0.062, 0.001-0.33 mg/dL) excreted smaller amounts of N1MN in urine than did those in G2 (0.63, 0.02-2.9 mg/dL). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AIDS and diarrhea excreted less N1MN in urine than did those without diarrhea. These patients may have an impaired niacin nutritional status, possibly associated with increased metabolic needs.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2004

Austrian syndrome--autopsy report.

A case of the Austrian syndrome in a 23 year-old male, alcoholic and non-vaccinated against pneumococci, is reported. Autopsy study disclosed alcoholic liver disease, endocarditis, meningitis and pneumonia. Pneumococci were observed in the vegetations found in the mitral and aortic valves, in the coronarian septic embolus with acute myocardial infarction, and in the spleen abscess. The authors highlight the need for prevention measures against S. pneumoniae infection in alcoholics, suggesting that clinicians be alert to this infrequent but severe syndrome that bears Austrian's name.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Genitourinary changes in hamsters infected and reinfected with Trypanosoma cruzi.

Authors describe genitourinary changes in male hamsters infected and reinfected with Trypanosoma cruzi. Changes in genital organs have been described in human and in experimental chagasic infection. Genital dysfunctions in chronic chagasic patients affect ejaculation, libido and sexual potency, and testis biopsies may show arrested maturation of germ cells, oligozoospermia and azoospermia. Sixty-five male hamsters were inoculated and reinoculated with 2x10 trypomastigotes of T. cruzi VIC strain, and 22 non-infected animals constituted the control group. Animals were necropsied and fragments from testis, epididymis, seminal vesicle and bladder were collected and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Peroxidase anti-peroxidase procedure was utilized to detect tissue parasitism. T. cruzi nests were found in testis, epididymis and seminal vesicle of these hamsters. Such parasitism plays a role in the origin of genital lesions observed in humans and laboratory animals during chronic chagasic infection.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Serum lipids of pemphigus foliaceus patients on long-term glucocorticoid therapy.

Endemic pemphigus foliaceus, and long-term corticotherapy may affect serum lipid levels. The aim of this study was to compare serum lipids of pemphigus foliaceus patients on glucocorticoid therapy to a healthy control group. Fifteen patients receiving prednisone (0.33 +/- 0.22 mg/kg) for at least 12 months and 15 controls were submitted to 48-h food intake records, anthropometry, and biochemical measurements. Data were compared by chi2, Mann-Whitney and Student "t" tests. The groups were matched for gender, age, weight, body mass index, arm circumference and triceps skin fold. No differences were observed in relation to energy, fat, protein and carbohydrate daily intakes, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, uric acid, and serum creatinine levels. Pemphigus foliaceus patients had higher triglyceride [159 (64-371) vs. 100 (45-133) mg/dl], VLDL [32 (13-74) vs. 20 (9-114) mg/dl] and ESR [44 (9-87) vs. 7 (1-30) mm/h] levels than controls, probably due to metabolic effects of inflammatory disease and corticotherapy.

Blood Sedimentation↗
PubMed2002

Pancreatic hepatocytes in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) infected with Trypanosoma cruzi.

Hepatocytic metaplasia may be induced in hamsters by carcinogens, and associated with aging, diabetes or chronic pancreatitis. By means of histopathologic and immunohistochemic studies, we observed pancreatic hepatocytes in hamsters infected and reinfected with Trypanosoma cruzi. The change was seen in 18 (19%) out of 94 infected animals, and was not found among 53 controls, Normal islet cells were immunoreactive for neuron-specific enolase and not reactive for NCL-HAS. Metaplastic cells were immunoreactive for NCL-HAS and not reactive for islet hormones and enolase. No relationship was observed between number of inoculations and metaplasia; however, the intensity of the inflammatory process and sequels seems to favor the development of metaplastic cells. Hamsters infected with T. cruzi may be useful to study hepatocytic metaplasia, and contribute to clarify aspects of Chagas' disease and pancreatic changes. Our data indicate that aging, in addition to inflammation and atrophy, plays a role in this change.

Aging↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Myocardiocyte ultrastructure and morphometrical analysis in hamsters experimentally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi.

The aim of this work was the study of ultrastructural morphologic and morphometric changes in myocardiocytes from chronic chagasic hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), comparatively with changes described in other animal models and in human Chagas disease. Four chagasic animals and three nonchagasic controls were studied. Mitochondria changes were the most conspicuous findings, varying from swelling to complete organelle destruction. Noteworthy, T-tubules appeared tortuous and interrupted at the Z-line level and there was dehiscence in intercalated disks, especially in adherens junctions;in addition, the myofibrils were separated from each other by intracellular edema, with mild to accentuated focal lyses. In morphometric analysis, both the numeric density and the area of mitochondria from chagasic and normal control animals were statistically similar; however, the infected hamsters showed statistically significant enlarged sarcomeres and reduced myofibril thickness. Based on the morphologic and morphometric characteristics observed in these experimental animals, one may conclude that heart changes described at light microscopy in human Chagas disease can have a substrate on electron microscopy. Moreover, the hamster also constitutes a useful animal model to pathology studies in Chagas disease on electron microscopy.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Granulomatous nodule with Enterobius vermicularis in epiploon simulating metastasis of ovarian cancer].

The authors describe a case of peritoneal enterobiasis presenting as necrotizing granuloma, in a adolescent with tumor of the ovarian endodermic sinus. The diagnosis was established through biopsy of peritoneal nodule, during laparotomy for staging system of ovarian cancer. Granulomatous nodules due to parasites could simulate metastasis, and cause confusion in the staging system for cancer.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Weil's syndrome.

A case of leptospirosis in an 18-year-old white male was reported. Weil's syndrome was characterized by intense jaundice, acute renal failure, skin ecchymoses and conjunctival suffusion, in addition to meningitis. The polymerase chain reaction for Leptospira was negative, while the titers of the antibody microagglutination test against L. grippotyphosa rose higher than fourfold (up to 1:1,600) in the same blood sample. Patient's treatment consisted of rehydration and supportive care of acute renal failure, besides antibiotic therapy. Penicillin administration started after 6 days of disease. Patient improved without clinical sequelae.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Thyroid cancer with skull enlargement: a lesson learned?

A case of endemic goitre associated with thyroid cancer and huge enlargement of the scalp is reported in a Brazilian mulatto from an iodine deficient Central west region of the country. On admission, osteolytic metastases of follicular thyroid carcinoma were found scattered in the parietal bones. Impressive images from old files could illustrate and emphasize the hurdle-like role of poverty and inadequate social and cultural attitudes before the fight against cancer in regions with limited resources. Even in developed countries, goitres still occur in areas with iodine prophylaxis. Another concern is insufficiency of reliable data on the incidence and pattern of head and neck tumours in developing countries.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗