OBJECTIVE To describe the genotypic variability of group A rotavirus (RVA) found in immunosuppressed and non-immunosuppressed pediatric patients treated at the Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná (HC-UFPR), Curitiba, Paraná. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,140 stool samples collected from April, 2001 to December, 2008 in outpatients and hospitalized pat...

Lysinibacillus massiliensis, formerly Bacillus massiliensis, is an environmental Gram-positive bacillus that is generally non-pathogenic. Rare case reports in immunosuppressed patients have described sepsis with this organism. In this study, we report a case of L massiliensis as a cause of infectious panniculitis mimicking erythema nodosum after infusion of autologous adipose-derived stem cells...

Infections by Listeria monocytogenes typically occur in infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and immunosuppressed subjects. Pulmonary infections in adults are extremely uncommon and only few reports can be found in the literature. We here report a case of Listeria pneumonia in an 85-year-old female patient and we discuss our diagnostic and therapeutic approach. Despite being rare and in most c...

Pulmonologists and intensivists often care for patients at risk for infections caused by both Aspergillus and Candida. Infection with either can lead to severe life-threatening disease, particularly in immunosuppressed patients, with mortality rates for invasive fungal disease often exceeding 30%. For both organisms, multiple diagnostic challenges remain while newer diagnostic modalities are be...

Sporotrichosis is a subacute or chronic granulomatous mycosis caused by fungus of the Sporothrix schenckii complex. It is considered to be a rare condition in most parts of the world. It mostly causes cutaneous infection but can also cause multisystemic disease. Unlike most deep cutaneous mycoses which have a primary pulmonary focus, it is usually caused by direct inoculation of the fungus into...

Saprophytic fungi are being increasingly recognized as etiologic agents of mycoses in immunosuppressed patients. We report a case of subcutaneous infiltration by Aureobasidium pullulans, likely due to traumatic inoculation, in a neutropenic patient during chemotherapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The patient was treated with amphotericin B deoxycholate but was subsequently switched to itra...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this essay is to review the spectrum of high-resolution CT findings of Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in immunocompromised patients with and without HIV infection. CONCLUSION Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia is a common opportunistic infection affecting immunosuppressed patients. High-resolution CT may be indicated for evaluation of immunosuppressed patients with susp...

HPV: Human papillomavirus INTRODUCTION Common cutaneous warts caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) strains 1, 2, and 4, can be challenging to treat. Immunosuppressed patients are especially vulnerable to this infection, and the warts may cause physical and psychologic distress. There are currently 3 commercially available vaccines in the United States that target HPV strains commonly associated...