[Transepidermal elimination of parasites in Jorge Lobo's disease].
BACKGROUND
Few studies have focussed on the transepidermal elimination of parasites in Jorge Lobo's disease (lobomycosis).


OBJECTIVE
To identify the morphological features of the transepidermal elimination of parasites in lobomycosis.


METHODS
Sections were obtained from paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens of patients with lobomycosis and stained with hematoxylin-eosin for microscopic examination. Only the presence of parasites in epidermal structures was considered to constitute transepidermal elimination.


RESULTS
Forty biopsies from 37 patients were included in the study (31 males and 6 females). The mean age of patients was 51.03 years (range 29-80 years). Biopsies performed over a period of 37 years (1967-2003) were used, from which 511 sections were obtained (a mean of 12.77 sections per case; range 2-39 sections per case). Transepidermal elimination of parasites was found in 110/511 (21.52%) and was absent in 401/511 sections (78.48%) (p<0.0001). Features consistent with the phenomenon were found in 15/37 patients (40.5%) and were absent in 22/37 (59.5%) (p>0.05). Parasites in the epidermis were detected within hyperplastic infundibula, either connected in chains or as isolated units, associated or not with inflammatory cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Features consistent with transepidermal elimination of parasites were found in a statistically nonsignificant number of patients in the sample (p>0.05), suggesting that in Jorge Lobo's disease, this phenomenon invariably occurs through the infundibular epithelium. Future studies are required to evaluate the significance of this finding in the epidemiology of mycosis.
Miranda
Mario F R
MF
Universidade Federal do Pará, Belem, Brasil. mariomir@globo.com <mariomir@globo.com>
Costa
Vivian S da
VS
Bittencourt
Maraya de Jesus S
Mde J
Brito
Arival C de
AC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001759:Blastomycosis / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin